Living in the Moment

My Pastor made a statement one day that really bothered me. I do not remember the exact words but the end message I received was, if you are not living in the moment, you are wasting that moment.  In other words if you are constantly living in the past, thinking about what he or she did or said or focused on the things that happened to you, you will never be able to enjoy the present moment.

The statement upset me because I felt it was almost a personal attack.  Of course, now I know it wasn't, but at the time I was hurting. I was still reeling from past hurts, wounds, and situations. When I finally got outside of myself and gave up on the self pity, I saw the truth for what it was.  It is impossible to truly enjoy and appreciate the present if you are holding on to old hurts.

I still have moments when things from the past creep into my thoughts but I am much more aware of when this happens and make the choice not to dwell on it.  Hearing those words was not easy. Coming to terms with the past and forgiving myself and others was painful and sometimes difficult.  Leaving the past in the past was not easy but all of it was necessary.

Some days did hurt more than others but it was a hurt on the way to healing and I am so thankful for that healing. I am also thankful for the wisdom of my Pastor who said what needed to be said to help people like me find their way out of the darkness of unforgiveness and fear and truly live and love in the moment.

You Gotta Own It

Hubby helped me realize something today. You gotta own it.

If you have a desire, request, or hope from God for a promise He has given you and you have faith that you will receive His promise, you gotta own it. You have to step up and face whatever fears you have about what might be, what could happen, or the things that could go wrong.  

Step up to the plate, face your fears head on like a major league player in the batters box.  The next time the enemy throws you a curve ball, such as fear of what might happen or worrying, turn and face that fear. When the enemy throws those things at you, focus on them with laser-like precision and swing with everything you've got believing God at His word, swing and drive those fears out and away from you, your family. your hopes and your promises from God. What God has for you is for you, but you gotta step up and own it.  

Thank you to my husband and my big brother for the insight and patience.

Success

Success does not happen because we are gifted, anointed, purposed, talented, lucky, or any other adjective. Success is not something achieved because we feel we are entitled to succeed.  Success is also not the result of big talk and shows we put on to impress other people. Stepping out on faith, confident in who God is and who He has called us to be leads to success.

We can sit around all day and talk about the great things we feel can be achieved. We can talk a game to impress people with what we know and what we have done but if, in our hearts, we do not truly believe we can do what God called us to do and take action to do it, we will forever just talk a good game.

God gifts us to do something. But we can only do what He has called us to do if we step out of the boat, focused on Him, trusting Him at His word that we can do all things through Him (Phillipians 4:13 ASV "I can do all things in him that strengtheneth."). When we step, we take Him at His word and activate the faith otherwise laying dormant in us. It is great to have faith but having faith does not lead to accomplishing anything. Using our faith and moving leads to results, leads to blessings, leads to things that otherwise seem impossible.

Step out of the boat of conformity, complacency, and comfort. But when you step, focus on Him, His power and not your own.  Focus on His infinite and complete wisdom instead of focusing on your own limitations. Stop having faith and start doing in faith. Go from dormant possibility to manifested actuality.

God has already gifted us with everything we need. Next step, Matthew 14:29, trust Him at His word and step out and do it.

Matthew 14:29 ESV "He said come, so Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus."

Celebrating your "born" day

Every day we have the opportunity to make a decision to be better and positively affect people's lives.  Our birthdays, or born days, as some people call them, provide a unique opportunity to reflect on our life to that point.  The things we have accomplished, the goals we still have to achieve.  Our successes, failures, and opportunities.  The pitfalls and the times we rose above it all.  Our born day also reminds us that it was on this day that the Lord saw fit to present us to the world so we could make a change to make it a better place.

This born day, I am tremendously thankful for the chances I have been given to better myself and hopefully be a positive impact in someone else's life.  From this day, I will strive to be that person that can brighten someone's day with a kind word.  I will work to be a better me so that I can be a better wife, sister, cousin, aunt, person to those around me.  I will start each day focused on the positives of life, recognizing that each day is a gift and should be celebrated with the joy and happiness that some of us only wait until our birthdays to express.

As you approach your next born day, don't wait for that day to celebrate your life and make commitments for the next year.  Instead, live each day for the gift it truly is.  Spend each day striving to be a better person, not for the accolades or recognition of those around you but for the positive seed it plants in someone else's life.

New Year, New You? Not Necessarily.

We all look forward to the ball drop on New Year's Eve.  Believe me, I am not downing the excitement and anticipation that comes as the clock slowly counts down the final moments of the year to welcome a new slate.  Many people plan parties centered around seeing the old year end and starting the new one with fun and friends.  Those are great things.

Many times, people make plans about what the new year will bring.  In the new year, I will be better, nicer, richer.  The list can go on for miles and it seems that we sometimes forget that simply because the clock strikes midnight and a fresh new year begins, we are not magically new people.  We still have to deal with the same things that we have dealt with before as far as becoming better people.

We do not instantly become everything we dreamed we would be when the new year arrives.  Those five, ten, fifty, or more pounds do not magically drop away.  That diploma does not suddenly appear on the wall.  The paycheck from the new job does not deposit itself into your account.  For every thing that we hope to be in the new year, it takes work.  Nothing will magically happen.  What will happen and what will lead to lasting satisfaction and self-appreciation is taking each day of the new year as an opportunity to pursue those things we want to accomplish.

The new year does not bring resolve that lasts all year but it does bring the chance to appreciate the opportunity each new day provides for us to work hard to achieve those goals, not empty resolutions that we lay aside two or three weeks into the year.

New year, new you?  It's not a guarantee but it is an opportunity.  Let's seize that opportunity to make every day an adventure in growing better and wiser physically, spiritually, naturally in every area of our lives.