New and Continuing

  On December 31st we come to the end of one 'season', 2016, and look to the start of a new beginning - 2017. Any unfinished 'business' needing attention? Do you feel you were successful in attaining your 2016 goals? Do you have 2017 goals with their objectives and timelines in mind? If you are similar to most of us, the answer is a kind of vague non-response. However... you should give some thought to your answers. 

  I would suggest that the most important consideration is your relationship with the Lord - who do you want to Be and how has your relationship grown? Can you look back on 2016 and see the growth in depth in your relationship? Or... Sadly, I suspect that our relationship with the Lord is not high on our priority list, what we always do and do first. But we can always choose to change this rather cavalier approach to our most important relationship. Depth, growth, continuing, active should be some of the adjectives that characterize our relationship.

  No finger pointing – but I believe how we determine and act on our relationship with the Lord is the single most important decision we make. Granted, we slip, fall, or scrape our knees but do we then get back up and resolve to continue? Continuing in the development in relationship then becomes the second most important decision we make, because it is always inevitable that there will be challenges to this.

  Whatever you decide is your decision and no one has the right to imply that you aren’t ‘doing enough’ (I always ask – according to whose standards?). My point at the start of 2017 is simply to offer this as a decision for you to include in determining who you are becoming. But never choose to be less than what your destiny can be.

Miracles still happen

  It depends on whether we have eyes that see and hearts that understand. There are so many miracles that happen all around us - some we are privileged to see, some we are totally unaware of or don't see that 'it' falls into the miracle category. Examples: a sunset of incredible hues, the birth of a new creature into this world - whether this is human or animal, the inexpressible joy when someone accepts the Lord, flowers, a hand of love on another's face... and I could go one because miracles are happening all around us when we see.

  If you say you don't see any miracles in your life. Then, my reply is, what are you looking at and looking for? Can you see the small steps toward accomplishing whatever you need/want as a form of miracle? Miracles don't have to be against all odds, they can be the quiet and gentle actions that demonstrate the power of miracles in people's lives. Then again... are you a miracle giver or a miracle want-er? Do you see the miracles that have and are occurring in your life? Does miracle have to come with the definition of stupendous?

  Those who are givers to others seem to tend to experience more miracles in their lives - but not a give to get mentality, the 'cheerful giver' behavior. 

     "Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has 
      decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God 
      loves a cheerful giver." (2Corinthians 9:7)

When you give grudgingly your eyes are not open to the wonders of your gift and how it blesses others. Actually, the grudging giver robs themselves which is incredibly sad.

  The greatest gift to mankind occurred over 2000 years ago with the birth of Jesus: His life, becoming our sacrificial lamb, His resurrection. In His wake miracles occurred but He also left us with the joy of spreading His gifts and miracles to others. Remember, your life is an example of a miracle. When you made Jesus the Lord of your life, you entered the world of miracles - receiving them as well as imparting to others. Oh yes, miracles still happen.

One chance

  It's true you know... sometimes we really do have only one chance. People like to tell us to seize the day, but sometimes we need to seize the moment because that may be the only one we get. And it has nothing to do with the current circumstances - being tired, other things demanding our attention, etc. Right now, right here is our opportunity to... be an encouragement, to speak words of truth and life, to offer our time to listen to the other person. Later may be too late.

  Granted, that sounded slightly dramatic. Doesn't lessen the truth. Regardless of what, or who, has suddenly burst into our moment, we need to be attentive right now. How do we handle this? Anger? Frustration? Reluctant? With only part of us? Those are likely candidates for our expression when confronted by these unexpected (and unwanted?) interruptions. The problem is that the other person is needing... right now! 

  Our decision is always whether to respond to the crisis (?), interruption to what we were doing. And in the decision on responding, HOW we will respond. Scripture tells us to bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2) but that rarely pops into our thinking at the moment. One thing I am totally convinced of is that whether or not it is a crisis, it is for that other person. I have the choice of giving my attention to them or turning them aside. Grumbling about the inconvenience is never a loving response.

  My choice is to know how I will respond... and for how long. Therefore, my first action is to try and calm the other person so that they can tell their story as coherently as possible. Until they have shared what they are facing, they are incapable of hearing or developing a proactive response. Never forget that it is their problem and so it's their decision as to how to proceed. Our role is really one of listening, asking questions, and when/if they can hear options. We don't make their decisions. However... we may only have this one, very inconvenient moment, to determine how we will respond. Is this time, a one chance only? 

Ending and Beginning

  December and January, for me, mark the ending of a season and beginning of a new one... even if there is carry over from the end into the beginning. It's a time of assessment, introspection, ticking the boxes, developing a new 'game plan' - whatever you want to call it. But it really is important to look back to see where you were a year ago and how you've progressed on your path to your goals. Perhaps it is because I was raised to make New Year's Resolutions, but this habit still sticks with me.

  Mom's approach was quality over quantity when it came to developing those resolutions. Two kept were far more important than 10 made and broken immediately. Was there dedication behind keeping the resolution or only lip service. Then again she had a kind of 'second sight' (discernment in Christian-ese) that she could ask the right questions to discover if there was a determination to 'improve' or not. 

  Besides, if the same resolution kept being broken and repeated the next year, then this was the basis for a different kind of conversation. I've come to believe that her desire was to help me become the best me I could be - which should be the mindset and goal for any resolution regardless of when it is made. So, in determining your 'success' or not from last year should be the starting point of developing the new year's goals and benchmarks to assess how you are doing in terms of growth.

  Quite honestly if you have no intent, purpose, reason to fulfill goals and objectives then why make them? If you don't, at least yearly, look at yourself and who you are and becoming, what your relationship with the Lord is, how you go about being and doing you, how you interact and communicate with others... then do you have endings and beginnings? Do your chapters, seasons, whatever you call them end so you can move toward your new beginnings? They can you know. It depends on whether this is what you want, what you are willing to do to accomplish this and what you are willing to do to stay the same.
  

Birthdays!

  Don't you just love birthdays! I think they are terrific because they heralded your entry into this life. Birthdays should ALWAYS be celebrated... and on the day of the birth - not 2 weeks early, or combined with someone else who has the same day or one close to it, or three days late - on THE day. Personally, I never work on my birthday and if I'm the only one celebrating my event... I do!

  Perhaps my parents were surprised at my early arrival (2 weeks) but God wasn't. Whether 'your date' was early, late, or on time; and whether you were a boy or a girl - probably the only one not surprised was the Lord. And whether or not you realize it, heaven did rejoice when you were born and great love was poured out upon you. What you did with this is your determination - you are created in God's image... but not as a mindless robot.

  Everyone is born with 'potential' - what we do or don't do with this our potential becomes our legacy, our epitaph, our 'mark' on who we are and what we did. Life is an extremely special gift and we should never assume or presume on this. Which is why I think one's birthday should be celebrated. The gift of life was given to us and we can celebrate this gift by how we live our lives. We. How we live our lives. 

  Additionally, yes, we are all born with a gift from the Father. And we are born with the potentiality of fulfilling and living the gift. We may find others with some of the same potentiality, but each person's is special unto themselves. And yes, life isn't always kind or easy and often others do appear to have it easier - not the point. What YOU do with what you have and how this influences who you become is the point. The scripture in Jeremiah when God tells him that He has planned for a hope and a future is the foundation. Birthdays remind us of our gifts and what we are doing with them.

  When birthdays get lost in the shuffle of every day life then we really do diminish the importance. I hope you don't take your or others' birthdays for granted.  Birthdays are really 'no little thing'.

con·sci·en·tious, adjective

  con-sci en tious. Do you think this word describes the person you are? Do you consciously act this way? Webster defines the word: "...governed by or conforming to the dictates of conscience: scrupulous..." Some of the adjectives used to define this word are: upright, honest, just, scrupulous, etc. However, it's just as important to understand how the descriptive word are defined. 

     "Honorable means having or showing a strict regard for what is 
      morally right. Upright implies a strict adherence to moral principles.
      Honest stresses adherence to such virtues as truthfulness, candor,
      fairness. Just stresses conscious choice and regular practice of what
      is right or equitable."

With those adjectives defining and describing the word, conscientious, does this define and describe you? Would you want to be know as conscientious?

  Obviously, this is not a word that can be bandied about nor is the meaning obtrusive - it is a generally recognized universal definition. So, knowing what the implications of this word mean and how, if applied to who you are, defines a strong standard. Does it mean you always live up to this? Absolutely... at least consciously, though we all slip occasionally and need to acknowledge this and begin anew.

  Still the question - would you accept the challenges and 'restrictions' to be a conscientious person? Why... and why not? This is not something to be entered into lightly or without conviction. Perhaps a way to deciding is to look at a person you consider to be conscientious. What sets them apart? Do they seem to be striving to act this way or is it simply part of who they are? Do you see any differences in how you act v. how they do? Do you see how their words and actions are viewed by others? Your experience the same?

  Those are only a few of the issues that need to be understood prior to becoming a person that is deemed to be conscientious. And the definitions aren't negotiable. This is who a conscientious person is, what they do, and how they go about doing it. For me, conscientious and integrous (my word) are two characteristics worthy of pursuing. Quite honestly... they are the pearls that scripture talks about. 

Telling 'it' like it is...

  Does this describe you...or, do you pull your punches? Which behavior is yours? ... and, do you know why? It is important to know how you act and react, but it's equally important to know your why, your motivation. For example - I try very hard to never lie or dilute the truth (as I see and understand it). The reason is extremely basic - I don't have to remember what I said to person A when talking with person B. What I say is what I've said. Very simple. And when there is a change I always try to 'update' those I've made the initial assessment/statement. 

  However, do you take a 'relativistic' approach? That it depends on the person, situation, results that determines your reaction. Shouldn't be. And yes, this does sound like I'm advocating a black/white reaction when we live in a gray world. I keep going back to the scripture that says our 'yes' should be yes and our 'no' no (Matthew 5:37). No equivocation. But what about change? Is this an 'in cement' approach to life and people? Don't circumstances determine? 

  Perhaps a softening would be appropriate... bottom line though is that you need to know and be 'comfortable' with how you approach truth, telling it like you understand (it), etc. We are told in scripture to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). That isn't always easy. Sometimes, though, it is a case of how we speak truth rather than not speaking a truth that is hard/difficult. But it never is an easy situation of speaking truth v. lying. I do believe that 'how' is the mitigating issue not the question 'if' we speak truth.

  If you would want to know what is seen by someone else rather than possibly being run over by a freight train, then this will answer your wondering about offering unsolicited feedback. If you take a, 'it's not my business' then you never face the uncomfortable situation and decision. As you can see, there are many considerations that determine 'telling it like it is'. Obviously you need to know your personal standard. Sometimes this will result in being misunderstood or seen as a meddler. If your motives are clean then stand by what you think. Remember that when you do speak to provide the qualification - this is what I think, know, believe. The other person will act or not according to their beliefs. 

The Joy of MY Salvation

  I remember this phrase - restore to me, the joy of my salvation. Perhaps extremely naive, I always wondered where they 'lost' or 'misplaced' or had it taken from them. 'Increase' the joy seems a logical extension, but restore? Mincing words? No, I don't think so - I believe this is one of those 'mindset' issues. Granted this scripture is from the Old Testament - "The Joy of the Lord is my strength." (Nehemiah 8:10), but the phrase is still used in Christian-ese.

  The other issue is - WHO does the restoring. Since this phrase seems to be addressed to (?) outside of oneself, the obvious selection of restorer is the Lord. There are other scriptures that show people turning to the Lord and seeking Him to restore whatever it is they think they need/want. If this is the proper act then my question is... what is it we need to do in this process? I find it difficult to believe that we can simply sit down and expect the Lord to drop whatever it is we are seeking into our laps. Actually, my question has far reaching implications and interpretation in the issue of our participation - what is it that we are should or are required to be or do?

  Can you remember back to the time you recognized your need for the Lord and chose to accept Him as your Lord? Do you remember how you felt once you made your proclamation and what you wanted to do as a result of being saved? Do you still feel this way? Are you still 'on fire' for the Lord and the things of the Lord? If so, then why is it you need to have this restored? Is it a mere speed bump in your Christian life? More serious?

  If you have a deep seated need for restoration, do you know how you 'lost' your fire for the things of the Lord? Did the cares of the world infiltrate and rob you? If you don't then you could 'lose' your joy again. The other question is... do you know how you will know when it is restored? Again, if you don't then you could miss what you are seeking. As a suggestion, I think you need to accept the reality that you are intimately involved in your restoration. 

  Obviously, the Lord is the source of the joy - 1Peter 1:8-9, Proverbs 10:28, Romans 15:13 are only a few of the scriptures that relate to what we receive when we act on and live in joy. It is ours. But we need to be more sensitive to attacks on our joy and act in joy. Remember Nehemiah - The joy of the Lord is our strength! So... once you possess the joy... what do you plan on 'doing' with it? May I suggest that you let it show in your words and actions.