Mary – Page 53

The Hard Stuff

October 29, 2013 by Mary

I close my office door to drown out the voices around me–to find the center of myself–the place where I meet with God. There with closed eyes and clasped hands the darkness of emptying myself meets the Light.

The hard stuff either grows us deeper or makes us search for answers in things that can never satisfy. Activity fills the silence of our souls with noise to mask the uncomfortable feelings of change, pulling…tugging at us. We resist change at all cost, running, ignoring, fighting, turning our backs, making ourselves busy, heard, loud. The humdrum of the keyboard on the computer, our ipads, phones…drown out the quiet whispering of God, “Come to me“, he invites. “When you search for me with all your heart, there you will find me“…

Our yearning, aching for recognition, acknowledgement, affirmation are signs of the soul crying out to believe in something greater. When I try to do something for the applause of others I lose myself. A life lived this way is a life without Hope. Hope reflects belief. Hope quiets itself to listen for God’s voice in the stillness. Hope is in the wind, His voice in the falling leaves, the sprinkling wet that comes down, in a gentle pitter-patter on the roof.

There are seasons during our lives when we feel we have little control over the events that are happening to or around us, rendering us hopeless. I too, have belly-ached through long seasons like this.

Hope says, “I have you covered“…Hope believes that there is a God who can change our circumstance in an instant. During my time of hopelessness, I memorized a psalm of David when he was in the desert:

O god, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. my soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. Psalm 63:1-8

Our souls thirst for God and without Him…we.lose.hope. A culture of busyness has robbed us of silence and it is only through the silence of the soul that we truly commune with the Light of God. In silence we wonder at the beauty of His creation, the beauty of struggle, hardship…moments…simplicity. Just as the snow falls silently, beautifully graceful and blankets the world with a wintery coat, so the wings of God do also. He says, “I have you covered “…

Setting Goals for 2014

October 28, 2013 by Mary

Do you have any life goals that you would like to work toward and/or achieve in the next twelve months? Now is a good time to set some goals for the coming year. I know it seems premature, but if you take just a few minutes at a time during the next two months to think about some of the goals that are important to you–and write them down–you will be all set when the new year comes around. Put them in a highly visible location so you are reminded.

Some areas you may want to consider are family, church, work, personal life, education, etc. When you set a goal, it is good to write a statement reflecting the goal. Your goal statement should be specific, achievable and measurable. A goal is something you work to accomplish. You do activities and ACCOMPLISH goals.

A good idea or example is to write three goals in the following categories. Remember to make your goal statements bite size enough that you can achieve them, yet big enough that you have to work toward accomplishing them!

Family Goals:
1.
2.
3.
(Good concrete examples are: Spend 30 minutes per day quality time with each person. Schedule a 7 day vacation. etc.)

Educational Goals:
1.
2.
3.

Work/Career Goals:
1.
2.
3.

Personal Goals:
1.
2.
3.

List the goals above in order of priority by assigning them to either A (high priority) or B (low priority). Do the same for the category B priorities!

I realize that most of us set goals at the beginning of each new year. Some of us just mull them over in our head while others list them out. By June or July, you may have put aside some of those goals or decided that they are not achievable and have given up on the idea of accomplishing them. Before the holiday rush sets in, it is a good time to reflect upon our priorities and look at our goals and perhaps break them down into smaller bites so that we can accomplish them in the new year, even if it requires taking baby steps.

Several years ago when I was torn between two job opportunities and had to make a choice, my boss asked me to do this. It really helped. It’s fun to look back and see what I have actually accomplished from the original worksheet.

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? Luke 14:28 (NIV)

The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. Proverbs 21:5 (NIV)

Happy Dreaming and Planning!

Thoughts For The Coming Week

October 20, 2013 by Mary

Monday: I will listen to the words I speak today. Words can help me make sense of, explain, learn and teach. Words can open doors, the imagination, create change. Words bring joy and laughter. Words can heal. “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Tuesday: Today I will say “no” without feeling guilty or fearful. I understand that sometimes it is in my best interest to do so. I am learning to love myself enough to not be afraid of the consequences of the word “no”. I am not in control of the behavior or reactions of others. I choose do what is healthy for ME. I am creating healthy boundaries. “LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. LORD, you are our God;” 2 Chronicles 14:11

Wednesday: I want to experience new things and make new choices. I am no longer willing to live in the past, but looking forward to moving in the direction of my dreams. I cannot change my past, so I will move on. Each day brings new promise and an opportunity to begin again. “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14

Thursday: Today I will re-think the challenge words: all, every, never, always, nobody, everybody, either/or, should, ought, must, can’t. I will pay attention to the way I use these words and how I allow them to define me. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2Corinthians 5:17

Friday: I will give myself permission to dream. I will make a conscious effort to put worry aside, and I will laugh.I will think about my greatest dreams. I will think elevated thoughts…thoughts of making my dreams a reality. “I can do all things through Christ, who is my strength.” Philippians 4:13

Saturday: Today I will take a moment to think about my personal philosophy. I am strong and my experiences, good and bad are valuable. Today I will decide what to toss and what to keep. I will think about the things that mean most to me in my life. I will create a statement about how I choose to live my life, which will guide me in future decisions. “The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” Psalm 28:7

Sunday: Rest renews my mind, body, and spirit. I give myself permission to sleep in just a little later and stay in my pajamas a little longer than usual. I don’t have to “do” today, but rather– just “be”… I will take time to rest today. “God has told his people, “Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here. This is a place of quiet rest.” Isaiah 28:12

A Wilted Spirit and Roses

October 15, 2013 by Mary

It is getting cold here in Michigan, so I brought in some of my potted roses to weather the winter with us inside. While trimming the leaves and dead foliage, I was reminded that many of them came from the garbage bin at the local greenhouse. When I saw them in a shopping cart piled on top of one another, I couldn’t bear to see them thrown in the dumpster, as many still had signs of life. I knew that with some TLC they would grow, flourish and bring color into our lives through the cold winter months. I asked the florist if I could buy them for fifty cents each and brought them home. I spent the next day or so lovingly pruning them, changing their containers, adding new soil and then placed them under the fluorescent lights in my kitchen—where they stayed until they came back to life.

In the weeks proceeding, I noticed the healthier the roses became, the more thorns they produced. I began to reflect upon a season in my life when I was very wounded. I had developed thorns to protect myself through the storms of spiritual abuse that I had weathered; yet, there waited a beautiful flower ready to bloom. I began to ponder the many ways we protect ourselves, spiritually and emotionally. How many of us develop thorns to keep others at a distance? Do we develop thorns to keep predators away?

“What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.” 1 Corinthians 2:12 (NIV)

Searching for these answers was painful, bringing to the surface the reasons I had developed thorns and the brokenness I felt in my heart and soul. Little did I know that when I rescued these orphan plants that if I looked deep enough inside, there was a message in them for me of my own fragility, my own thorns, my own dead foliage and woundedness. And just as I saved these plants, there was a Savior waiting to rescue me, to heal all the ugliness and bring restoration—His beauty shining, blossoming, flourishing and adding color to my life.

Thank you Jesus for saving me. Thank you for using dying plants to show me that despite having been beaten down and damaged, you still had springtime waiting to bloom in my life. Thank you for being my Light while I came back to life. Thank you for using my compassion for living things to show me just how many thorns I was wearing. Thank you for lovingly pruning me and for breaking off every dead work and replacing a wilted spirit with roses.

“God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.”

1 Corinthians 1:27 (NLT)

Inspired Living

October 12, 2013 by Mary

Inspired Living: Live the Life You’ve Imagined

February 14. 2011

I recently read a story of a couple that had always dreamed of visiting France. After many years of marriage, they finally got there together. On the way home from their vacation, their hearts ached. They had fallen in love with France, it’s people and culture… and their hearts and minds were now opened to a world of new opportunity. Instantly feeling a connection –they both understood why their hearts had been drawn there for so many years. The fantasy had become a reality and it was a good reality. Their hearts had finally come home.

Each of us have a story about a dream we carry with us throughout our lives. Too many of us neglect to act upon our dreams, but wait passively for a miracle to happen that might propel us knee-high into fulfillment of our dream.

I had a strange encounter the other day when a little boy decided to shovel the snow from the sidewalk in front of our office. “Hi, I’m Brian”, he said to me. “Hi Brian. Thank you for shoveling the snow for us. It looks like you are doing a fine job.” His response startled me: “You know, I AM a Cancer survivor! 2 years now in remission.”

After my chance encounter with Brian, I reflected on how quickly life can fly by. Day in and day out we spend so much time trying to survive it that we never learn to understand what a gift it truly is… the gift of time. I pray that this sweet-faced little boy gets to do all the things he dreams of in his lifetime. Somehow, I sensed that he had worlds of wisdom about how precious life is.

When we are young, we think we have so much time. We enter each day with the assumption that the dreams we dream will come to fruition but somehow our time runs out, our bodies grow tired and weak. Often we begin the busyness of adult life, starting a family, paying a mortgage and for many, fighting to be affirmed and recognized in a career and we begin to put our dreams on hold.

Life is full of change. We learn to adapt to change in order to survive. That being said, we carry with us the ability to change and adapt to new situations. I say live the live you’ve imagined! If your dream is big enough and real enough to you, re-invent yourself. Life is too short to settle for anything less than everything your heart desires.

The bible tells us, “For I know the plans I have for you“, declares the Lord. “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11. This particular passage goes on to say, “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

We have been given free will to make our own choices. Pray and seek Gods guidance for clarity of your vision. When you consecrate your hopes and dreams to God, doors and windows of opportunity to help you fulfill your dreams will suddenly open to you. If you are silent you will hear a still, small voice guiding and directing you, giving wings to your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined. Don’t waste precious days doing less, being less, expecting less and burying your hopes and dreams beneath the “stuff” of life! LIVE IT! If you dream it, you can achieve it. Reinvent yourself and change your reality.

Find a quiet place to sit and reflect upon the vision you have for your life.
Make a list…what’s important to you? Name 3 things.
Get a plan…write out the steps you will need to take to get moving in the right direction.
Accomplish one small piece of the puzzle each day or each week.
Make it visible–put your plan where you can see it and be reminded of it…make visuals of your plan…
Keep believing.
Be consistent. In your talk. In your planning.
Be true to yourself.
Praise God in advance, for giving you the tools that you need to live your life with passion.
When you get off track and have not worked the plan for several days or weeks, just get back on board. Balance is something we all must work at consistently. If your dream means enough in the scope of your life, you will find yourself always coming back to it. The days are going to pass anyway, so why not spend them doing something that rewards our heart?
Don’t give up.

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness, concerning all acts of initiative (and creation). There is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: That the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issue from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no one could have dreamed would have come their way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.”

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe