Tag: life

On the Stage

#Jesus, #inspiration, #God, talent, lifeA stage is meant for performers. Its very existence is to be a platform from which actors, musicians and orators can be seen and heard.

That is why it seemed so sad to see an outdoor stage roped off with Keep Off signs.

There have been many times in my life I would have fought any desire to be seen on such a platform. It was easier to stay quiet and anonymous, no matter what desire had been planted within. I didn’t have the confidence to step into the talents and abilities God was nudging me to acknowledge.

In this way, my life was like the abandoned stage. The setting had been prepared but I was telling myself not to go there. I had placed a big Keep Off sign on the promptings that there may be more I could accomplish. What if I stepped up and my actions met with disapproval?

Jesus was relentless in his quest to be director of my life. He is teaching me not to be concerned with the thoughts of anyone but him. Stage fright is no excuse. A Bible promise I can count on says the Lord will be with me when I speak and will instruct me in what to say.

Every time I step onto the stage of my life and trust Jesus for direction I feel his applause. He is the only audience I need to please.

Then the LORD asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” (Exodus 4:11-12 NLT)

Speeding Through Life

#God, #inspiration, lesson, blessingsIt happened again. I got distracted and lost track of time. Now I was running late.

I had just pulled out of my driveway when a woman started to cross the street in front of me. Instead of continuing to the sidewalk, she walked on the road, forcing me to slow to a crawl.

After passing her I hurried on, hoping I wouldn’t be late for my appointment. Soon I found myself stuck behind a slow moving car. My frustration started to build. I checked the speedometer and realized we were going the speed limit. If this vehicle hadn’t slowed me down I would have far exceeded the limit. I needed to be more mindful of what I was doing.

It would be nice to say that I got the message. In reality it took one more case of being forced to slow down. Since it happened three times in less than ten minutes I wondered if there was a lesson for me here.

Too often I’m either distracted or rushing. When this happens it’s easy to miss the blessings God has placed before me. He sprinkles treasures though the day to delight me and demonstrate his love. In my hurried state I am apt to pass them by without a second glance. What if I failed to notice the very thing he wanted me to experience today?

This lesson stayed with me for the rest of the day as I slowed down to pay attention to him. I know there will be struggles in my quest to stop speeding through life and am grateful God is patient to guide me through them.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. (Ephesians 1:3 NLT)

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. (James 4:8 NLT)

Do You Need More Spice in Your Life?

spice, life, God, flavor

The conversation took an interesting turn. What started out as doom and gloom in the media morphed into watching cooking shows on television.

We talked about some of the interesting ingredients. While the chefs on these shows use fresh herbs and spices many of us tend to use the more convenient dried ones. I’ve learned that blending a combination of herbs and spices gives the best results to eliminate boring meals.

Spices lose their strength over time. To preserve their quality they need to be stored properly. Even so, there will come a time when the flavor is diminished and they are no longer useful.

This is also true in our lives. When we are not actively using our talents and abilities they lose some of their flavor. In essence, we become stale.
This is not what God has in mind for us. The talents and abilities he has given us are gifts that we are to use for him. We need to share them generously with those around us. When we work together there is less chance of losing our strength. Together we can be the spice that’s needed to draw people to the life God has prepared for them.

“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. (Matthew 5:13 The Message)

Can You Bloom in the Winter?

bloom, winter, God, life, preparationHave you ever had low expectations for something but gone ahead with it anyway? That’s how I felt when I purchased a Christmas cactus in late May. It was blooming at the time and I was happy to pay the small asking price.

Prior experience with these plants had not been good. Previous ones had either never blossomed or had done so once and not again. Even though my hopes weren’t high, we continued to care for this plant after the flowers were finished.

Not long ago I noticed buds forming on a few of the leaves. Soon I was rewarded with one flower and the promise of more to follow. This plant that had appeared dormant for many months was showing its beauty once again.

I smiled as I gazed at the showy magenta flower and realized that I had just been presented with a good analogy for life.

After a period of productivity I have often fallen into what appears to be a dormant stage. No matter how much I struggled, it seemed that my life had been put on hold. I wondered what I was doing wrong.

What I need to remember is that God is always working in me. The periods that seem like inactivity are his way of caring for me as he prepares me for the next phase of my life. These periods of rest should be appreciated. There is more going on beneath the surface than I realize. No matter what the season, when God is working in my life, the results will be worth the wait.

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. (Psalm 27:14 NIV)

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV)

Do You Want Change?

new behaviors, God, plan life, inspiration“You have to do something different if you want to see change,” the exercise instructor called out. She continued her encouragement with, “Doing the same things will help you maintain but it won’t bring about the change you want; so push yourselves to do things differently.”

These words reminded me of a quote attributed to Albert Einstein in which he says that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Rationally I know this. Why then do I find myself caught in the trap of doing things the way I am comfortable and familiar with? I think I just answered my own question. It’s because I like comfortable and familiar.
To achieve the change I want to see in my life I need to push myself into new behaviors. Comfortable is not going to do it. Instead, I need to change the way I think.

God has a plan for my life. When I trust him to guide me I will no longer be held back by my limited belief of what is possible. My life may not be familiar and comfortable but it will be filled with the change and adventure he desires for me.

Don’t become like the people of this world. Instead, change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants – what is good, pleasing, and perfect. (Romans 12:2 GWT)

Is It The End Of The Season or…?

endings, beginnings, Bible, inspirationThe daylight hours are dwindling and the nights have crispness to them. As summer comes to an end we have started the process of cleaning and packing up our trailer in preparation for the winterizing that will soon take place.

There are a few more weeks before this will become necessary but a new, busy fall season beckons us to other things. There is very little time left this season for us to enjoy our summer get-away.

Am I sad that this time is coming to an end? No, instead I am thankful for the long walks, playing in the pool with grandchildren, making s’mores over a campfire and the memories made.

The seasons of life are ever changing. As one comes to an end, a new one begins. This is such a good reminder to me to enjoy what I have at this moment. Once today is gone it will never come back again.

On the same note, I can’t rush a new season. My life will unfold one day at a time.

The Bible tells us there is a season for everything. I need to remember this and thank God for the season I am in right now. Each one is a precious gift.

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT)

Breakfast Entertainment

entertainment, Bible, God, inspirationI was thoroughly entertained as I sat at the table eating breakfast. We have a small mountain ash tree in our backyard and I could see a bird feasting on the berries.

It should have been easy for this bird to sit on one branch and eat from one cluster of berries before moving to the next branch. Instead it flitted from branch to branch, sampling berries from many areas of the tree.

After eating from a few spots it would fly into a neighbouring yard only to return moments later. They had no trees with berries so it was back to feast on ours once again. This pattern was repeated numerous times.

As I watched in fascination I thought of how this related to my life. Many times what I need is right within my reach. Instead of enjoying this, I flit around needing to sample everything there is to offer. If I stay in one spot, I may miss something better in another.

At times like this I need to remember to place my life in the care of the Lord. The Bible promises that when I ask God, he will give me wisdom to know what to do. He knows what is best for me and is always there to offer guidance.

If any of you needs wisdom to know what you should do, you should ask God, and he will give it to you. God is generous to everyone and doesn’t find fault with them. (James 1:5 GWT)

Caught in the Haze

clarity, focus, Jesus, visionMy husband and I set out for a scenic drive through the mountains. When we left home the sky was a deep blue with a few fluffy white clouds scattered here and there. We opened the windows and delighted in the warmth of the sun.

The weather conditions changed somewhat as our elevation increased. The temperature dropped and our once clear view turned hazy.

According to the dictionary, a haze is a collection of very fine particles in the atmosphere that give the air an opalescent appearance that subdues colours. In other words, our view of our surroundings was no longer well defined.

Far above us the sun still shone and the sky was blue. It was an unsettling feeling to be caught in the haze when we knew clear skies were so near to us.

It reminded me of times in my life when I seemed to be caught in a fog or haze. In my case this was a confusion or vagueness of thoughts and feelings. My direction was not clear and it felt like my life was out of focus. This was not comfortable and I longed for clarity once again.

When I put my trust in Jesus and let him direct my life he restored my vision. The new focus I was given allowed me to move forward into the bright future he had planned for me.

Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly. (Mark 8:25 NLT)

Garbage Turned into Gems

nature, God,time, experiencesWhen my daughter and I were on our recent cruise we enjoyed browsing open air markets in the various ports. One item that captured our attention was sea glass and the items made from it. At first I just admired it but soon my resistance wore down and I bought a pendant that had silver wire wrapped around a piece of milky sea glass.

Once back home I did a little research on this previously unknown stone. I learned that sea glass is a reverse gem. Traditional gems are made by nature and refined by man. Sea glass is originally made by man, in the form of bottles and jars, but refined by nature to become smooth, frosty gems found on many beaches.

It was quite amazing to think that garbage thrown carelessly into the ocean changes so dramatically. The broken shards of glass spend years being tumbled by the water and sand until their edges are rounded off and the slickness of the glass has been worn into a frosted appearance. The characteristic texture and shape it takes on does not happen overnight.

This gives me new insight into my life. God has done exactly the same thing with me. He has taken my life and made something beautiful out of the broken shards I once presented him with. Through time and experiences, I have been tumbled until my rough edges are worn down. No matter what has happened God can use all of my experiences to accomplish his good, pleasing and perfect will for my life. I am excited to see what he has in store for me!

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. (Genesis 50:20 NIV)

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2 NIV)

How To View The Parade

God, life , beginning from the endGenerally when I watch a parade it is from a street level. I stand with the crowd of spectators and watch it go by. Although I have a view of what is in front of me, not much more than that can be seen.

A few times in my life I have actually been in a parade. The view that I get then is not of the parade itself, but of the spectators. It is a unique perspective.

Sometimes I’ve watched a parade on television. As well as close-ups of various parts of the parade, there is usually another angle shown. It is interesting to see from above with a birds-eye view. This gives a much broader scope. Occasionally from this vantage point the whole parade, from beginning to end, can be seen.

This is a good analogy for life. I can only see what is happening presently in my life. The whole picture is not available. There is no way for me to see my entire life.

God is the one who can see the beginning and the end. He knows the routes I need to take and has far more knowledge of my steps than I do. For this reason I need to give him control. This parade route called life will be so much better when the one who sees all is leading me.

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.              (Psalm 32:8 NLT)

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