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Are You Afraid?

Are You Afraid?

This month has been one of reflection, anticipation and growth. I have been exposed to a whole new level of God’s grace. Learning to stay focused on one thing at a time, one project at a time, one goal at a time is hard for me. I equate everything I do to time, and I sometimes feel that I just don’t have enough of it. 

I thought that I had learned to listen for God’s voice and not to follow where He wasn’t leading, but I have found that is not always the case. Even when we hear God’s voice clearly, we will sometimes doubt what we hear. That reaction is called a lot of different things, but it mainly boils down to being afraid.

Afraid that we waited too long. Afraid that we don’t have what it takes. Afraid that someone else will do it better. And sometimes we’re just afraid of failing. It’s like being caught between wanting to move where God wants us to be and staying where we feel all warm and safe.

I have been focusing on my relationship with God and trying to really grab hold of the things He has for me. It’s an awesome thing to know that God loves us so much that He is willing to wait for us to get it. He keeps showing up in the most unlikely places and sending people to say the exact thing we need to hear. I love that about Him. He lets us know that when we keep our heart focused on Him, He will be there for us.

But more than anything, we have to learn to trust God, trust the process and know that God’s plan is perfect. Things may not go the way we think they should, that doesn’t mean that we’ve failed…it just means that we still have some learning to do.

Until next time…

Be blessed!

This new way of living

This new way of living

I think that I am settling into this new way of living a little too much, and my old life is beginning to feel like a distant memory. I have always loved being around people. I mean I like having alone time, but there is something energizing for me about being with people. I believe I am an extrovert with introvert tendencies. That combination is typically a plus for me, but COVID-19 kinda put a stop to everything I knew as “normal” (Whatever that means). 

I am learning to be a little more creative, and a lot more adventurous, and even though loneliness stops by every now and then, I still love having my alone time. I find myself using this time to try things that I have never tried before. I am making decisions without checking with 10 people first. I am learning to depend on God more, and not so much on other people. I realized that it puts an unfair burden on folks to expect them to solve my problems and theirs too. Besides, I love learning new things. I always have, and those feelings are beginning to come back again…like an old lost friend. It feels good to spend time reading, or writing, or praying without feeling like there is something I need to do, or some place I need to be. It feels good to go to bed late, and sleep even later or not. It just feels good to be free, and I want to hold onto this feeling as long as I can.

My goal for this new season that we have all been catapulted into is to live according to God’s plan. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” He also says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” I love those verses, and I really am loving this new way of living. Because it’s not about my plan, or anyone else’s. It’s all about Him, and that’s more than enough for me. 

Until next time…

Be blessed 

Follow the Directions

Follow the Directions

This is starting to be a thing. This week, I put up mini blinds. Yay! At first, it seemed like it was going to be pretty easy. I mean, what could be so hard, right? You drill a hole, put in a screw, and voila! Snap on a mini blind…um, not so much.

What actually happened is I typically don’t use the directions. I can just eyeball it, right? I used a ruler to measure the spot where I wanted the mini blind to hang (I did it twice just to make sure)…it wasn’t right, and I had to move it over…sigh. I drilled three perfect holes, and then the fourth hole kept on going. It was hollow. Why would the hole be hollow? Ok. So, I wasn’t going to let one hollow hole stop this show. I got out the brackets and after a couple of tries…it worked. I was so happy. A little sweaty from trying to get the screw to stop spinning along with the drill, but I digress. When I got to the second bracket, let’s just say…things took a turn. Of course, the one hole was hollow, so that screw went straight through. There was no wood for it to go into. I’m not sure what that’s about, but the second one finally went in and as long as no one fiddles with it we should be good. 

As always, God used this whole thing to show me a thing or two about myself. Even though the ladder wasn’t quite tall enough, and my arms got tired from holding them up so long, I learned that perseverance does pay off. I learned that having a plan is good, but being able to ride it out when it doesn’t go as planned is essential. Sometimes, what looks easy is really going to take hard work, but following directions will not only save time…it just makes sense. 

I really can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).

Until next time…

Be blessed