IDK

‘I don’t know’ (idk) is one of the most overused and overrated statements in society today.  When facing a crossroad, many people don’t know which way to go; when encountering a crisis, many don’t know what to do; when having to make a life-altering choice, many don’t know how to choose.

Indecisiveness irks me.  I’ve learned that I must make decisions, and although I don’t know what to do ALL of the time, I pray about it, consider the choices I have, and make the choice I need to make.  Why?  Because I cannot live life in an ‘idk’ state of mind.  John Mason once said, “Lack of decisiveness has caused more failures than lack of intelligence or ability.”

Personally, I’ve not always made the best choices, but in being decisive I’ve learned to ask God to help me discern which choice is the best.  Yet because I ask for God’s help it doesn’t translate into inactivity on my behalf waiting for activity to happen on its own.

Fear can be a motivating factor to live life in a permanent state of ‘idk’ and we need to understand that nothing great has ever been accomplished without a decision.  This week I challenge you to eliminate I DON’T KNOW (idk) as an option to cop-out of a situation.

Ask God to illuminate your path and then take the steps you must take, be decisive, be bold, be fearless!

“Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.”
James 1:6b (NLT)

Toughen Up

There are several faith leaders that throughout the years and because of who they are I’ve grown to greatly admire.  One of them are the Grahams, and this week I read something that Ruth Graham said that made me laugh because I would probably never picture her saying it, yet it’s so true.  Ruth Graham once said, “Just pray for a tough hide and a tender heart.”  

I thought about it and truth be told, we need a tough hide for all the situations we will face, but we must ask God to always keep our hearts tender.  Tough on the outside, tender on the inside.  Why?  Because life is tough, people can be difficult, adversity is not easy to handle, yet we cannot be weak and run away when the going gets tough.

How do you develop a tough hide and keep your heart tender when everything seems upside down?  What works for me is going to His Word and gaining my strength in Him.  You see, when you toughen up on the outside through His Word, you can’t toughen up on the inside, because it’s not circumstances nor adversity that are toughening you up, it’s His Word that’s making you strong, and His Word keeps your heart tender.

This week take the time to work on toughening up your hide and ‘tenderizing’ your heart.  How?  Here are a couple of verses that will help you in the process!

“Don’t panic. I’m with you.
There’s no need to fear for I’m your God.
I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you.
I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you. “ 
Isaiah 41:10 (MSG)

“The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has given me victory.
This is my God, and I will praise him—
my father’s God, and I will exalt him! “ 
Exodus 15:2 (NLT)

“Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening?
God doesn’t come and go. God lasts.
He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath.
And he knows everything, inside and out.
He energizes those who get tired,
gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out,
young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don’t get tired,
they walk and don’t lag behind.”
Isaiah 40:28-31 (MSG)

Deadlines

I sometimes wonder how exactly my parents multi-tasked without e-mail, smartphones, alarms and calendar reminders and pop-ups synced to two or three devices to keep them on track.  It seems like the older I get, the more responsibilities I have, and the more I need to manage my time wisely.  Lately I’ve had to create a system when it comes to my schedule because I’ve learned that if I over book myself, I’ll miss deadlines that I must meet.

This morning as I drove to work I thought about the upcoming deadlines I have, dates I must keep, reports I must hand in and although thinking about it all can be quite overwhelming, I asked God for help to keep myself on track.  I’ve realized that the stress factors in my life are not so much the deadlines, but the distractions that delay me from meeting deadlines.

I’ve learned that I’m a steward of everything God has given me, including my days, therefore I must make the best use of every moment I have.  If I’m stressed because I’ve missed a deadline or haven’t met a goal, the ball is in my court because it’s up to me to manage my time wisely.  This is one of the areas of my life I’m still working on, and I’m thrilled that His Word reminds me that I need to keep myself on track.

I’ve had to discipline myself to take time daily to rank everything I need to do from most urgent to least urgent, and instead of trying to make everyone happy I need to honor God by keeping my commitments and managing my time well.  Doing this helps me develop a discipline of consistency and helps me not stress about deadlines, but instead be thankful for them because they are actually timelines set by others that serve as a blessing to keep me on track.

Have I achieved perfection?  Not yet, but I’m well on my way, reminding myself that deadlines are a blessing, I just need to manage my time wisely to meet them.  Why not take the challenge and begin meeting your deadlines by making the most of every moment you have?

“Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get.” 
Ephesians 5:11a, 16b (MSG)

Baby Steps

Have you ever had big dreams, big plans, big goals?  Most of us do, especially during our formative years!  The world seems like a place we can conquer and our dreams, however crazy they may be, seem easily attainable.  Yet as years go by, reality hits us and we come to grips with the fact that it’s not as easy as we thought, and those things that were once big dreams all of a sudden seem like mountains that are too high to climb.

The problem many times lies in the fact that we want to reach the top of that big mountain (our dream) in a sprint.  At times we have unrealistic expectations and want to bypass or short-circuit through necessary steps to fulfill those big dreams.  Why?  Because we want to do the big things, we want the big results, and we get frustrated doing the small things because they seem insignificant. 

If we observe our personal physical development, we would never have the ability to take big steps and leaps if we had not taken the baby-steps, and it’s the same with our dreams.  How can I sprint up a mountain if I haven’t mastered taking the baby-steps required for success?  Baby-steps seem insignificant and less exhilarating than being at the top, but they are so very necessary.

John Mason said, “Many people are not moving with God today simply because they were not willing to take the small steps He placed before them.”  Imagine that!  You may be feeling that you haven’t accomplished much, and it just may be that you’ve focused on doing the big things and ignoring the small steps God has placed before you.

Let’s stop a moment and assess our walk, there is power in taking baby-steps!  Start taking them today!!!

“You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much.” 
Matthew 25:23

Need to Know

At about 5am this morning I woke up and the TV was on a news channel where the broadcaster said “You’re watching _____, it’s what you need to know!”  As soon as she said those words it was as if she went off on a tangent being the bearer of bad news.  The economy, the GOP debate, immigration, the stock market, government shut-down, and I thought to myself, “Do I really need to know that first thing in the morning.

I was reminded of how we should strive to know what we REALLY need to know!  I don’t want to live my life regurgitating what a news broadcaster has to say, or what others have said, or my uninformed opinions about things, I want to speak about what I really need to know.

The question then is, “What do we need to know?”  Now please understand, I am not saying that we should live our lives ignorant of current events, but what is the point of knowing if we do nothing?  I have found that it is difficult to find answers to everything on our own.  Why?  We are humans, with different points of views, different opinions (often opposing) and with all we do know, we should aspire to know what God says about things.

How do we know what God says about things?

• We know: The economy is trouble
• We need to know: “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

• We know: So many families are in ruin
• We need to know: “Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—this is God, whose dwelling is holy.” (Psalm 68:5)

• We know: There is so much sin in this world
• We need to know: “God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.” (Romans 5:20)

• We know: Our nation is in trouble
• We need to know: “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Maybe you’ve struggled with what you know, because you feel helpless or do not know what to do.  Take some time to delve into God’s Word, what you REALLY need to know, and allow His Word to lead you on how to pray about what you know.  I’ve found that what I need to know above all things, is His Word.

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
and a light for my path.”
Psalm 119:105

LOL

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if we lived out loud instead of just talking?  Well we do!  Every day how we live says a lot more than what we say.

One of my favorite poets from the 1800s addressed the issue of living out loud (I guess he observed the LOL issue back then).  Ralph Waldo Emerson said it perfectly, “Who you are speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you’re saying.” 

I thought about it this morning during my quiet time and I asked God to help me be a person whose life speaks louder than my words.  There are so many people who say the right things, but at the end of the day it’s not words we say that matter, it’s what we do.

I think we all need to LOL a bit more every day.  I’m not referring to ‘laughing out loud’, I’m mean ‘living out loud’.  Imagine surprising someone not by what you say, but by how you live.  This world would have less noise and more substance!

So how exactly do we ‘live out loud’?  I’ve found that the best way of living out loud is allowing God’s Word to transform us and purposely live the way Christ lived, concerned more about our way of living than our words!

Take some time today to place your words and your way of living on a balance of scales.  If your words are louder than your actions, no matter how deafening your words may be in your attempt to convince others, those who are truly observing you are watching you live out loud, and your life speaks louder than your words.

Take the time to make the adjustments so that what your life is saying out loud is something you can be proud of, but most of all God can be proud of.  Remember that no matter what you say, you’re LOL (living out loud) daily, so make it count for something!

“Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst.”
Luke 6:35

SUCCESS!!!

The school my children attend has a new principal after almost 30 years (or so).  Yesterday was our first parent convocation where the principal gathered us all to share her vision for the future. The Pastor and his family were present, the teachers, and our beloved former principal (who is now the Education Counselor).  It was interesting because the theme for the school from this point forward is SUCCESS (Students Using Core Curriculum for Excellence in Scholarship and Service).

Now I’m not going to focus on the school’s vision, but I can tell you that this concept of SUCCESS is quite interesting.  I observed the staff (most of them I’ve known for five years) and there was a new level of enthusiasm, energy and excellence.  Everyone is envisioning SUCCESS not only for the school as a whole, but also for each teacher, student, and parent individually.

I thought about it this morning because this SUCCESS attitude has kicked things up several notches at our school (I feel like I’m a part of it, even if only a parent).  My husband and I have a full-time job going through 3rd and 5th grade for a second time each evening.  Papers to correct, projects to help with, math to relearn, but it’s all a part of our children’s SUCCESS, their teacher’s SUCCESS, the school’s SUCCESS and eventually we will be able to enjoy the SUCCESS of all of our labor.

Sometimes we think that SUCCESS comes from totally changing everything and starting over again.  At our school they are expecting a higher level of SUCCESS with the same teachers, same students, same former principal (he’s now the ‘SUCCESS Coach’ per say), same parents and the same Board of Directors.  It’s just looking at things differently, changing the way some things are done, and having a SUCCESS attitude.

I love what Congressman Bruce Barton once said, “”Most successful men have not achieved their distinction by having some new talent opportunity presented to them. They have developed the opportunity that was at hand.”

Have you been dreaming of SUCCESS but have sat there waiting for the opportunity to knock at your door to then be ‘successful’?  It’s not the right thing to do! SUCCESS can be achieved right where you are, with the people who surround you, it’s all about developing existing opportunities, asking God to show you what to do differently, picking up a book and learning something new, and being passionate about experiencing SUCCESS where you are at.

So this morning make an assessment of your life and pinpoint where you’ve been desiring SUCCESS yet have not savoured the sweet taste of it.  Once you’ve made the assessment, make a plan to develop the opportunity you already have before you, and get ready to enjoy SUCCESS!  There is no reason any one of us should be dreaming of SUCCESS, we can and should enjoy it daily, right where we are!

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…”
Ecclesiastes 9:10

TEAMWORK

It’s interesting to watch my children transition from thinking the world is all about them and what they want, to understanding what TEAMWORK is.  It doesn’t happen quickly or overnight, it takes a couple of lessons for them to get it, but when they do finally understand how important TEAMWORK is it’s amazing to see how passionate they are about it.

This week my son had a baseball game that he was determined to win.  There are a couple of the boys on the team who are really passionate about the game, and there are those whose Dad’s are passionate about the game and the kids really don’t care nor understand the basics of the game.  Yet it can be said that some of the Dads are trying to live vicariously through their poor seven-year-old boys.  This week my son had hit a line drive, two runs were batted in and there were two outs.  The next batter (my son’s buddy) also hit a line drive and another run was batted in.  You could see the enthusiasm of the boys on base, and those who had already scored.  It was the last inning and they only needed two more runs to win.  The next batter was a boy whose dislike for the game is obvious, and he swung in a way that communicated an immense lack of passion. 

Matthew was agitated and came to me after the inning and mentioned the boy’s name saying, “He’s not cooperating!”.  I told Matthew to get back in the game and that the next inning would be better.  While he was on the field, my son was playing short stop and this boy my son was frustrated with was in right field.  The opposing team hit a line drive and the little boy in right field saw the ball coming, let it fall to the ground, and then SAT ON IT!!!  I couldn’t believe it!  My son ran to me and with tears in his eyes said, “MOM, HE DOESN’T CARE, HE’S NOT A TEAM PLAYER!”   At this point I just told Matthew to do his best.  I couldn’t defend the boy, even his Dad was frustrated with the poor kid.

My son’s team lost the game, and he was not happy about the outcome.  All the way home he talked about the lack of ‘caring’ some of the team demonstrated.  As I listened to him all I could say ways, “Well Matthew, at least you know the kind of team player you never want to be.”  He still doesn’t quite get how a boy cannot absolutely LOVE baseball, I can’t explain to him that some of the boys would rather not be in the team, but their parents have decided otherwise.

When Phil Jackson was coaching the Bulls he said, “The strength of the team is each individual member…the strength of each member is the team.”  My son has understood that although he’s pretty good at baseball, he needs the team.  At the age of seven I think it’s an important lesson to grasp, because some of us spend our entire lives not understanding that even though we may have strengths in certain areas, we need the strength of those who are around us to succeed.

Today I’m thankful for the teams God has allowed me to be a part of such as my family, job, friends, colleagues, church, and others.  Why?  Because I understand the strength and value  in being a part of the team as well as the other team members.  So if you’ve been a team member that has caused frustration to others, or have thought of yourself to be better than the team you’re a part of, I challenge you to read what Paul said to the church of Corinthians with an open heart, because he truly leveled the playing field and taught us all that it’s about TEAMWORK, TEAMWORK!  Make your team proud, don’t allow others to be as frustrated as my son has been!  I dare you!

“But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn’t be a body, but a monster. What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, “Get lost; I don’t need you”? Or, Head telling Foot, “You’re fired; your job has been phased out”? As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way—the “lower” the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach. When it’s a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons.” 
1 Corinthians 12:19-23 (The Message)

Got Patience?

Patience is one of those qualities that at times we struggle with, because patience is not easy, that’s why it’s called patience.

I know that today I’m going to have to be patient with my children when it’s time to get up, because they went to bed past their bedtime last night; I’m going to have to be patient with the air conditioner in my car/office/house, because it is going to be a HOT day; I’m going to have to be patient at the graduation I’m attending later, and just trust that I will have enough time to make it across town to my women’s Bible study tonight; and the list goes on.

Then there are those things that I’ve had to manage being patient at, needs I have, questions that have gone unanswered, problems unsolved, yet I have to be patient.  There are also those unexpected events that try your patience.  They creep up on you unexpectedly and in a split second you have to breathe and allow patience to take over.  Just writing about all of this stresses me out a bit thinking about all the patience I have to manage and exercise in my life.

Yet although at times patience might be perceived as a negative factor, it has great results.  Exercising patience makes us better people, PERIOD! Aristotle once said, “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”  At times patience will not be the easiest character trait to develop, but as time goes by, the virtue of patience produces such sweetness that you can sit back and breathe a sigh of relief.

If you’re in Chicago today, anxiety will be running high due to the weather, people will be agitated, and you will probably have plenty of opportunity to breathe and tell yourself, “Patience produces a sweet fruit, even if it seems pretty bitter now”.  Go for it, try it, I DARE YOU!!!

“…knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity).”
 (Romans 5:3b-4a)

Taking the Test

My son Matthew is taking tests this week.  The MAP testing program is used at his school, and it happens three times per year, and this week he faces the final round of tests.  My husband and I spoke to him about the importance of taking his time, he’s well rested, and is having a good breakfast to make sure he’s ready to answer the questions he’s been prepped to answer.

My son is ready!  He knows he’s not being tested on subject matters he is unfamiliar with.  Yet at the tender age of seven he doesn’t quite grasp the importance of these tests are and why he has to take them.  For Matthew, it’s just another test, and he has confidence that he will do well.  I prayed for him this morning as he left the house, and he ran off, chit-chatting with his sister.  No worries, no stress, no anxiety, just a happy-go-lucky seven-year old headed to school on this beautiful spring day.

As he ran out of the house while Daddy was rounding up the troops to take the drive to school, I silently prayed, “Dear God, let us be like Matthew the next time we are faced with a test.”  I thought about the differences between Matthew and I for a minute, and realized why Matthew can have a such a carefree attitude, let’s compare for a minute:

        REST: 

• Early on we learned that a good night’s sleep helps children succeed at school, so Matthew gets a minimum of 10 hours of sleep per night, and he gets rest.
• Many times we don’t consider the benefits of resting in God, and casting our cares on Him trusting that He takes care of us.

        NUTRITION:

• Breakfast is key, and each morning Matthew eats a hearty breakfast.  At our house we don’t rely on boxed cereal as the source of nutrition, we understand that taking the time to make a good breakfast helps our children be alert and ready to learn.
• Why is it that at times we want to box up our spiritual nutrition?  We try to sugar coat and artificially preserve the Word of God, instead of taking the time for fresh manna each morning.  Maybe that’s why we find ourselves malnourished at times.

        DILIGENCE:

• Each day we make sure Matthew does his homework and we discuss the areas he may be struggling with.  We have never been satisfied with skipping over whatever you don’t understand, it’s important to comprehend each subject matter for success.
• As adults, this is up to us, and many times we don’t do our homework (studying the word) and therefore never quite understand what to do with those areas we are struggling with.

         COMMUNICATION:

• Miss C, Matthew’s teacher knows us.  We e-mail her, talk to her each time we see her, and communicate consistently and efficiently to make sure that Matthew is on the right track.  There have been times where we’ve had to intervene or moderate some things, and because of open lines of communication, it’s been possible.
• Prayer is the bridge of communication with our Teacher, our Creator, He who knows the core subject areas better than ourselves.  We can go to Him, He has an open door policy, yet many times we take that for granted.

At the end of my prayer, I realized that it’s not about asking God to let me be like Matthew when facing the next test, it’s understanding that I’m an adult, and the disciplines I instill in my son are applicable in my life, if I want to breeze through life’s tests without a care in the world.  It’s easy when you’re ready, it’s a different story when you’re not.

So today’s challenge for us all is the one Paul presented to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.”  I take it we all have some work to do, prepping for the next test!

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