#Intentional2015

Last year, towards the end of the year, we were challenged at prayer meeting to come up with a word for the year.  It could really be anything, just something God had for you or wanted to do for you or in you, really....anything.  Well, the word God gave me was Grace.  Allowing me to offer myself grace and also offering grace to others.  While I am still learning and growing, I can look back and see what an amazing work God has done in my life over the past year and especially His work around the concept of Grace in my life.

For 2015 I decided to stick with the concept.  I usually do resolutions which I struggle through.  Most don't get fulfilled or they get partially fulfilled.  In any case, I never feel good about them when I look back over the year.  So, if I can pick a word, or if God can give me a word, then I can look and see how I've grown over the past year as it pertains to that word.

Well, my word for 2105 is Intentional.  God wants me to be more intentional with my life.  At first, I thought it was just going to be about my time, which I guess is true.  God told me that the one thing He wants from me this year is to figure out my schedule.  I have so much going on and it can be easy to get lost in all of the 'to do's.'  I'll end up not spending time with my kids, not reading, not resting.  All those things are way too important to miss out on.

As I was accepting this word of Intentional, I began to realize just how much of my life it was going to affect.  I need to be intentional about going to bed on time so that I can get up early so that I intentionally have at least an hour, if not more, to spend to with God in the morning.  I have to be intentional about getting up on time because if I get up late my entire day feels off and I get rushed in my time with God.  I have to be intentional about my calendar.  Yes, I finally broke down and bought a paper calendar so that I can schedule my days.  It's amazing how much more productive I am and therefore end up with more free time when I specifically schedule my days.  I have to be intentional about eating healthy and working out.  I need to be physically fit so that I can do all that God has called me to do and be able to do it for a long time!  I have to be intentional about shutting off the TV and reading at night and spending time with my kids.  Doug and I are going to be intentional about getting away a couple of times this year so that our marriage is strong.  It doesn't have to be fancy for us to just enjoy being together.

Those are my beginning thoughts of being intentional.  I'm sure it's going to invade even more of my life as the year progresses, and that's ok.  I know that this year is going to be an amazing year and I want to do everything I can to be ready for it.  Being intentional in every aspect of my life will help that to happen.

So, you'll see me post some things on facebook with #intentional2015.  It'll be great to click on that at the end of the year and see all the ways I was intentional.  No looking back and feeling like I failed at my resolutions once again but being able to look back and see what God did in my life as I intentionally lived more fully for Him in 2015.

Why not join me?  Pick a work, or steal mine!  I'm sure we all could use some more intentionality in our lives.

God Delights to Show Mercy

I've been reading the bible through in a year.  It's a plan through You Version and I really like it.  It's sad to say that I have never read the bible through and so I figured it was about time.  I've been working on it for almost two years now, mostly because I read a lot of commentary, so it usually takes me two days to complete one plan day of chapters.  I only have 14 days left.  I am honestly ready to be done.  It feels like I have been at it forever!  So, I confessed to Doug just yesterday that I was kinda getting in the habbit of reading the chapters just to check it off that I did because I'm so ready to be done.  Well, this morning, God spoke to me and I had to just stop and meditate on what He had to say to me.  I'm so glad I did!

Micah 7:18-19
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.  You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

The phrase that I just had to stop on was delight to show mercy.  God delights in showing me mercy!  He enjoys showing me His goodness and His forgiveness.  When I think of someone forgiving me, I think of a sigh and an I guess attitude, knowing that they're just waiting until they can bring it back up and throw it in my face.  Not so with God.  He delights in offering me forgiveness.  Did you notice the next verse?  You will again have compassion on us.    He not only delights in showing us mercy, He never tires of it.  He will forgive us and let us start anew over and over and over again.  His mercy never fails, it is new every morning.  

As I was thinking about just how huge of a promis this is, I thought "Wow!  God must really love me!"  I was up for awhile last night.  I just couldn't sleep.  David Crowder's Song You are My Joy just kept playing over and over in my head.  Well, as soon as I had the thought about how much God loves me, that song popped in my head and it wasn't me singing it to God.  It was like He was singing it to me!

I am His joy.
He delights in me!
Wow!  What an amazing thing to just meditate on.

To Judge

1 Corinthians 4

Stewards of the Mysteries of God

1 Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court.[a] In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.

We are stewards of God. What is a steward? A steward is someone that takes care of something. What is required of a steward? To be found faithful. We must be found faithful in what God has entrusted to us, whatever that is. This really isn't what hit me from this verse though, check out the next few verses. It doesn't really bother him when others judge him and he really doesn't even judge himself. He allows God to judge him.

Judging is such a hard word these days. You shouldn't judge others by their looks. You shouldn't judge or you to will be judge. But what does Paul say? He doesn't even judge himself. Oh how guilty I am of this. I look at my life and what do I do? I compare it to others. Then what happens? I don't give as much to the church as he does. I don't volunteer as much as she does. I know I don't have an impact like they do. I start to judge myself. The only real way we can judge is by comparing ourselves to others and unless you're Mother Teresa, you're always going to find somebody doing it better than you do. But here's the thing. God does not judge us by comparing us to others. Why?

1 Corinthians 12:4-6
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.

God knows that we are not created the same. We are all made up differently. This means that some are going to be better givers, some servers and some teachers. The important thing is that I find what God has called me to do and to do it faithfully. God does not require more of myself than that, so why should I?

The problem is is that I've felt better about this lately. Why? Because God had called us to Fishers to do something big! I now feel like I'm really doing something for God. Whew! I'm doing more than that person. I mean, we're giving up a great job and security to give it all up for God. I'm really serving God now. What about the person that God has called to serve right here. What about the person God has called to clean toilets, watch kids, visit an elderly neighbor. You see, I'm still comparing myself. I have prayed that God will keep me humble through this experience. You see, it's not about me, it's all about him. He could do His work in Fishers through anybody, but he chose me. He's allowing me to help in this. What a blessing! So, I'm trying to keep my eyes on Jesus and stop comparing and judging myself by looking at others and what they are or are not doing. God doesn't measure me that way. I am entrusted with what he has decided to entrust me with. No more, no less. I will be a steward over what He has given me and I will do it faithfully! That's all God requires of me and that's all I can require of myself.