Living in the Peace Zone: 2018

Showing posts with label 2018. Show all posts

Saturday, January 13, 2018

Time to Recalibrate

As a "single" being out on the road so much between all my travels to Tulsa and Austin, my navigation system has been a good friend that keeps me on course, and it gives me the security of knowing where I'm at at any given time. That navigation system ranks in my highest priority in need-to-have technology. I can't begin to tell you how many times that sweet lady's voice saved my day when I was trying to find a particular address. She’ll tell me to turn at the next exit or the next street, and sometimes I’ll miss the turn. That’s when she’ll say “recalibrating” – which means I was off course and she had new directions for me. Then there are those times when I think my way is better than hers so I’ll just ignore her directions, and, once again, she has to “recalibrate” for me.

So here we are.....two weeks into this exciting new year of 2018  and I’m starting to recalibrate – making course corrections and going in new directions. During the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, as well as hanging out with my two young grandsons, it’s a time of  “go ahead and eat up, enjoy yourself – eat as much as you want, because soon, you will recalibrate and be back on track." It will be back to smart living again".   Now I'm thinking about “juicing, a Daniel Fast, nutritious eating.”. Recalibrating.

Here are a few of my recalibrations: Drink more water, be consistent with exercise, eat less sugar and make healthier food choices, connect more with old and new friends, purposefully laugh out loud even when "it's just not that funny", play my piano more, AND above all else spend more time in sweet fellowship with Father God. That last one is the BIG ONE!  Keeping Him as my Moral Compass, my "true North", my Central Focus, will keep His voice the ONE I hear when I need to recalibrate my journey. 

Here’s the way to know we’re on course throughout this year – from our daily walk of faith to the life-altering decisions we must make.   If all directions begin with Him as our "true North", we’ll know we are ON COURSE by:

~  Having an overwhelming, supernatural peace that goes beyond logic.
 
~  Abiding in His Word and listening to people who are on course (are tight with Him) and we love and trust the most, who will help us stay on course.

~  Recognizing providential circumstances, open doors, aha moments, divine encounters, and a sense of knowing when we're on or off track.

~  Living with the WWJD "What Would Jesus Do?" mentality.

Psalm 23 – “The Lord is my shepherd” chapter is a perfect example of how to stay focused on Him. Sheep are dependent on their shepherd – just like a baby is dependent on his parents or caregiver. The faith that says…”Where He leads, I will follow. I'm keeping my eyes on YOU, Lord.  I won't look to the left or right.  My only goal is keeping YOU in my sight!”

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

I Waved Farewell to the Past

The Word of the Day:  PAST -- no longer existing.  Remember the Von Trapp Family in the "Sound of Music" singing "So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, good-bye"? That's what I did on New Year's Eve."  The PAST is now the PAST.  And, what a way to say farewell than in a predominately African American crowd at Potter's House - North Dallas!    I'm talking "HIGH PRAISES" as we lifted our voices, hands, hearts and even our bodies in joy and gratitude for God's amazing grace that brought us through another year and now a new year of great HOPE (that was the word spoken) for the GOOD things that our God has for us.  

We bid a fond farewell to the PAST and we closed the door to its many ups and downs.  The door burst wide open to 2018. Isaiah 43:18 says  “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the PAST."  

I want MORE than ever before in 2018. I'm not talking about things, but as I live in the "God with us" mode, at any time and place, He may come with expectations OF me and surprises FOR me.  2018 will bring a milestone birthday to me, so rather than looking at the PAST, I’m looking ahead.   I’m very aware, by now, that life is short.  I know that I have less time ahead of me than behind me, so each day I will purpose to live with an eternal perspective. The things that once “bugged” me have very little import to me now.  Some quirky people with quirky little ways that annoyed me before, don’t bother me as much now.  I can zip my lip instead of needing to have the last word -- so much more intentional than I was before.  Now, I’ve reversed that “easily-bugged-mentality” to “In the light of eternity, does it really matter?” Maybe it’s because I’m becoming less attached to this side of heaven than ever before. The Apostle Paul said, “One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind (the PAST) and straining toward what is ahead. I PRESS ON toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me.”  Phil 3:14 

As I pondered 2018, these words came to me:  multiply, enlarge, maximize, escalate, magnify, stretch, increase, press.  All those words express my desire in knowing God more – experiencing His presence more – taking on His character more.  I’ve been harping on “God with us” – Emmanuel -- in several of my posts lately.  I think I’m getting it. I desire my love for Him to multiply, to enlarge, escalate and maximize.  I want to magnify (make larger) His presence.   I want my faith to stretch and increase. I want the PAST to be the PAST and, like St. Paul,  I want to PRESS toward the goal for which God has called me.

Whether you are someone who thinks you have more years before you than behind you, or you are like me and you know you have more years behind you than before, maybe it’s time to consider “What if 2018 is my LAST YEAR, here?”  

Before we declare this is the year we climb Mount Everest, ride an elephant on a safari or become gluten-free, let’s pause.  Maybe our desires for this new year should trump all the rest – to be aware of God’s grace and presence with us than ever before.   So, "Farewell, PAST!"  Seeing the UNSEEN in 2018 -- in every facet of life -- just may bring us the best year and YEARS EVER!

Monday, January 1, 2018

Happy NEW Year -- NEW is the Word of the Day

I was checking in with Headquarters (God – my CEO) on what my assignment for 2018 would be, and the message I received was "Word of the Day”. My blogging began in 2010 and it started with daily posts that spoke of the faithfulness of God during our roller coaster ride that sure had its ups and downs in it. That was the year my Sweetheart battled Stage 4 Kidney Cancer until he received his "eternal" ticket to ride to his finish line, and go to his home sweet home. In any case, it was the NEW beginning of my blogging and daily posting on Facebook.

The next year, 2011, I asked God for my NEW “widow’s” assignment, still desiring to serve God in the best way I knew how, and I received the words ‘’This is your mandate – every day provide a positive, uplifting and encouraging message the first thing in the morning so that others will have those thoughts to hold onto in their new day.” So, here I am, starting my ninth year of blogging, and I still love greeting each new day with words that have the potential of altering the course of someone’s otherwise negative start or finish to their day. Since the beginning, I’ve received all kinds of encouraging comments from my friends and family – you know who you are! God bless you for being my cheerleaders! From that time to this – I’ve purposed to post before 6 a.m. every morning – only adjusting if I’m in a location that doesn’t permit easy access to Wifi. A few years later, 2015 to be exact – my assignment was to find a photo inspiration for each day and to write my post based on that photo.

Now – with 2018 ahead of me, the message I received from Headquarters, is what I’ll be doing – seeking God for 365 words for 365 days of 2018. I’m making a conscious choice to focus on ONE word for each day – and I hope and pray the words God gives me are THE WORDS that will encourage you and give you added fuel for your daily faith journey. This year starts with the word, “NEW”.

There is just something about the start of a NEW year -- with a NEW journal or a NEW calendar. It's a clean slate. There’s something in us that naturally draws us toward fresh beginnings. 2017 was a doozey of a year for many its end brings the hope of a NEW start. I’m sure God engineered us for do-overs – fresh starts. Why would I start this year with NEW? Because even God seems to think new starts are pretty sweet. Here are some of God's "NEW" words from His WORD (the Bible), to help us enter into 2018 with a NEW beginning.

~~~ GOD MAKES US NEW: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a NEW creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become NEW." 2 Corinthians 5:17

~~~ GOD GIVES US NEW SONGS OF PRAISE. “He put a NEW song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God." Psalm 40:3

~~~ GOD MAKES NEW WAYS FOR US “I am doing a NEW thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19

~~~ GOD’S MERCIES ARE NEW EVERY MORNING. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are NEW every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23

We have a NEW year to be the best versions of ourselves that we can possibly be; NEW potential for achieving our goals; NEW clean slate to start fresh to show ourselves and others that we are a finisher – not a quitter; New will to overcome; NEW desires to trust God in the sun and in the rain; NEW goals to break OLD habits. It's time to begin again with NEW expectations of great NEW adventures and blessings up ahead. But most importantly to write some NEW stories that leave a NEW legacy for those who are following us -- a legacy of "I can" and "I will"!!

I’ve already started on my NEW chapter. At the end of 2018....I'll glance back at the victories won and the many, many NEW doors that opened up for me to great NEW opportunities! Today, I close the door to the past, open the door to the future, I take a deep breath, step on through and start a NEW chapter of my life. How about you?

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