Okay! I'm Done. Winter Can Be Over.

Winter is one of my favorite seasons. I look forward to its arrival every year. Cozy fire in the fireplace, wrapping up in a blankie, hot coffee (well, that's any time of the year). The practical truth -- no yard maintenance costs and utility bills go way down. I love the excuse "It's too cold outside to go to the gym!" I think it's somewhat of a grizzly bear's mentality -- time to hibernate!

I still love everything winter has to offer -- but now it's February and I'm done. My all-things-winter mentality is replaced with "Let's get this show, rather Spring, on the road"! I'm ready to get amped up and motivated for my healthier eating and getting this young body moving and grooving. Old things passed away -- behold, all things brand new!

I’d like to say that “old things passed away” for the two "slacker" trees that aren’t aware that autumn came and went. They’re still holding onto their dead leaves. Just like many of us who are holding onto the "dead" things of the past. "Time to let it go!" In spite of their resistance to letting them go, still, on Saturday, my brain was done with staying inside. I headed outside and raked the leaves that still blanketed my yard. Four bags full. I’ll admit. It was refreshing. Neighbors stopped to visit. Lot's of sunshine Vitamin D on me in all of that nature. And, my start in getting this body moving and grooving. I'm even heading out for a morning walk this morning!

My engine is revving up for the glorious time of the year that is soon to come. The cold, dark, somber days of winter are almost over. Soon the dormant earth will give way to new life. Maybe I’m experiencing birthing pangs for the Babe Who was born in the manger to make His appearance on Easter morning -- the celebration and remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice and power over death. Had it not been for Christ’s birth and subsequently His death, and resurrection, we would have no reason to celebrate anything. We would live in darkness forever. But because of His gift to us, we have the promise of new life. Welcome, new life. Welcome, bright Light of the world.

Light of the world, You stepped down into darkness, opened my eyes let me see. Beauty that made this heart adore You. Hope of a life spent with You.
And here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that you're my God
You're altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me.

What’s Your Default Setting?

I'm sure we've all had to deal with "default settings" on some of our electronics. For example, if our cell phone is having issues, and all else fails, we’re told to reset it back to the default or factory settings. On our computers, our fonts or our margins are programmed to the default setting, until we change them. The same is true with our web browser – we may have Google or Yahoo as our default browser until we change it.

The question is “What is OUR default setting?” Most of us live on our “programmed” default setting, which oftentimes, isn't so appealing. For example, we may be programmed to be negative, a criticizer, a complainer, a blamer, a loose cannon (hot tempered), fear-ridden, and so many other default settings that need to be reprogrammed. What I’ve come to realize is that our default settings can be reset. I know that because my default settings included many of those attitudes I just described, but once I recognized those were not the settings that God chose for me, and that I could be reprogrammed, I purposed to make changes.

Here’s how to determine what our default setting may be. For example: If a pressured situation occurs, what would be your default setting? Would you get uptight? Panic? Do you get angry? Nervous? Hyper? Do you yell? Act forceful? Or, do you remain calm? Are you in personal control? Do you rationally assess the situation? Do you stop and take everything into consideration before reacting?

Yesterday, I heard a great message on gratitude and how, if it is our default setting in every situation, then all else can be over-ridden. Gratitude helps us to reset our mind to think positive and not negative. Gratitude helps us reset our heart to be fixed on what matters most so we won’t be fixed on those things that matter least. Gratitude helps to reset our mouth to speak life and not death, and gratitude helps us to reset our eyes to see the best rather than the worst.

Good news: As operators of our own system, we can override our natural default setting. And, we can help others do the same as we set the example for living in the love setting, the joy setting, the peace setting, the patience setting, the kindness setting, the goodness setting, the faithfulness setting, the gentleness setting and the self-control setting. Hmm! Those settings sound very much like the Fruit of the Spirit, and those are settings that we can purposely RESET to the Factory/Manufacturer’s (God, the Creator’s) settings. Consciously, developing the habit to RESET when we catch ourselves outside of the Gratitude and Fruit of the Spirit settings….will eventually cause our DEFAULT Settings to be God’s settings consistently. That's what I call growing fruitful from the inside out! Ready to hit that RESET Button?

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are made new."