A Year of GREAT Expectations!

With the Christmas season and story still resonating in my heart -- of a baby in a manger Who became our Savior, I am starting this new year of 2020 on a " great expectation” high. Certainly not expecting a Disney World kind-of-magical-year, but simple confidence in “He Who began a good work in me (and you), is faithful to complete it!” (Philippians 1:6) He Who promised that if I put my faith and trust in Him, will show me where to go and how to get there! “In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge.” (Proverbs 14:26)

As I said in my blog yesterday, the number 20 symbolizes expectancy. My “expectors” are on high alert for a 2020 year and a decade of blessings! I plan to wake up each day with expecting the best out of this day – this moment. No doubt, there will be some highs and lows – but it doesn’t matter, because I plan to view each day as a gift and how I tackle it with my attitude AND fortitude will either make it or break it for me – and even others in my sphere of influence.

My husband and I, for years, made it an annual tradition to meet with our children and we’d write out our goals for the next year. We made dream boards that made our visions very plain (Habakkuk 2:2) like this one of mine and Payton’s. BTW – most all of the pictures and the dreams behind them came true in some way. There’s just something to be said for goal-setting and vision-casting. Goals create a road map for success. They are the targets that we point our lives to – with a starting point and a destination to reach. They help us clarify what we desire to do, understanding the importance of pursuing them and committing ourselves to making them happen.

My vision casting, today, isn’t so much about the things to attain since I’ve been there and have been so blessed. I’m in this sweet season of purposely laying up my treasures in heaven far more. That’s not to say we shouldn’t set goals spiritually AND naturally that include dreams and desires. But, for me, my goals are so simple – spending time with my family, some travelling, but most of all, serving God. I’m intent on leaving a legacy of faith. I sincerely believe this 2020 year will be marked by opportunities to share God’s good news everywhere I go. My “YES” is big when it comes to being a devoted follower of Christ. I’m keeping my eyes and ears wide open with great expectations for a harvest of souls into the Kingdom of God and seeing radical life transformations in those God places in my pathway. I’m purposing to find things that I can take delight in so that I always dwell on goodness and not sorrow. I know I can trust God to bring me through every circumstance in peace.

I am looking to the future and not the past. I know WHO holds my future so I have no reason to fear or doubt. I refuse to allow discouragement to take me off course. I intend to embrace what God is doing in each situation and circumstance of my life because, by now, I’ve learned “ALL things work together for good” because I love God with all my heart and I know I’m called according to His purposes.” (Romans 8:28)

This is my "Great Expectation" declaration! Could I please urge you to begin this year with a Great Expectation declaration, too? Great Expections that something good is about to happen to you and yours each day. Great expectations that God is for you. Great expectations for a great hope and future (Jeremiah 29:11). Great expectations for living in hope, love, joy and peace – every single day of this new year! Let's get our "expectors" expecting!

The Wide Eyed Wonder of a Child

I’m still in Austin with my two youngest grandsons and, I’ll admit, I’m holding on to their child-like ways. They still want their Super Brennan and Super Bryson stories, and Bryson still wants to sleep with me and they still pull off some of those imaginary super-hero antics.

I know these days are numbered. Before long, they’ll figure out all that magical stuff is, well, magic. Their older brother, Barrett, was here with the younger brothers at Easter while their Mom and Dad were out of town. He had the responsibility of handling their “usual” early Sunday morning Easter egg hunt before going to church. So, in all innocence, big brother asked Bryson, the youngest, where he’d like him to hide the eggs – “in the front yard or the back?” To Bryson’s utter dismay, he cried “You mean the Easter bunny isn’t real??” Suddenly, the Easter bunny reality and that wide-eyed wonder became teary-eyed disappointment.

Wednesday night, I watched the finale of “America’s Got Talent” and saw two pre-teen girls vie for 1st place. Keep in mind there were extraordinary "adult" talents, but a 12-year old girl who, once-upon-a-time, was shy and awkward, and hid behind her puppets, saw the vision of herself changed and became proficient at her talent of ventriloquism and singing -- so much so that her act won herself $1 million and a show in Las Vegas.

Never have I seen so many gifted children stepping up in their talents and abilities and becoming incredible performers, artists, actors, and musicians as I am today. In fact, last year’s winning act was a young girl who sang and played the fiddle. Those who vote for those kids, realize how extraordinary their talents are at such young ages.

There’s something about children that God wants us to see. We who have lived a few decades know what it is like to have made mistakes and now we tend to be over cautious and leave little room for spontaneity. That’s not the case with children. The future is wide open for them, and they seem to know it. Wide-eyed with wonder, filled with potential, they are ready to try new things and see the possibilities all around them.

Unhindered by the past, they are free to chase after whatever the future holds. That’s the childlike spirit that God wants to give all of us. God doesn’t want any of us to think that we are too old, too wounded, too limited, too whatever. None of us are so bound by our past that God can’t open new doors for us in the future. Our Father has great plans for us. He has a future full of hope laid out for us. Now it’s up to us to run into that future with all the confidence of a little child!

Matthew 18:2-4 “Jesus called a little child to him. He stood the child before the followers. Then he said, “I tell you the truth. You must change and become like little children. If you don’t do this, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The greatest person in the kingdom of heaven is the one who makes himself humble like this child.”