Creating Time for Change Is Possible

I read the following devotional from Encouragement For Today
and thought, "How appropriate." For those who don't believe in God, the gist of it's message still holds true. For those who believe in God and are having a hard time making time for prayer and Bible reading, let's change our habits. A hard reality of life is that we make time for those things we want to make time for. I confess that the Lord knows that I need to make more time for Him.

Time and Again
by Rachel Olsen
January 13, 2011

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."
Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)

Devotion:
We are creatures of habit, aren't we? Whether those habits are beneficial to us - or even if we regret them time and again - we tend to repeat the same behaviors day after day:

· We light another cigarette, even though we just said yesterday we want to quit.
· We eat the brownies in our pantry, even though we're aiming to lose weight in the New Year.
· We camp in front of the TV for hours most evenings, even though we want to be the kind of person that goes for walks and reads novels instead.
· We leave things laying where we last used them, even though we long for uncluttered surroundings.
· We buy a new Bible, figuring that will propel us to get in the Word more. Two weeks later it sits on the shelf.

We want to be the person God calls us to be, so we use January to make New Year's resolutions about how we're going to change this year. We give voice to that longing in our hearts to be different - to be somehow better. And we decide to give a heart-felt go at changing.

And there's nothing wrong with that. On the contrary, it's a move in the right direction. However, the Bible advises us to check our plans against the Lord's, and then ground our commitments in His truth and power in order to succeed.

Remember this, for the Holy Spirit to facilitate God's work and purposes in us, He must first (re)define our definition of reality, and our priorities.

For example, say that you wish to spend time in God's Word in 2011. Great - that's God's will for you as well. For that to happen, your habits must change. And for that to happen, your perception of reality must be redefined.

I'm guessing you currently believe, and your current actions demonstrate, that you don't have time to really pursue God like you want to. You're convinced you're too busy to join a Bible study, or have a regular quiet time of prayer and Bible reading, without quitting your job or neglecting your family in the process. But is that true?

"God has given everyone enough time to seek Him. It is there," says Francis Frangipane. He continues, "Those who would find God, find time." "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1, ESV).

When a favorite TV show comes on, we find time to watch. When a favorite store announces a big sale, we find time to go. When a friend wants to meet for coffee, we make time to meet her. We find or "make" time all the time! So rest assured that if you live a healthy, God-honoring life, there is plenty of time there to grow in your knowledge of, and connection with your Creator.

It is true that in our busy lives we cannot do everything. But we can choose which things absolutely will get done. We can choose what to do first. And that's precisely what the Bible tells us to do. Jesus calls His followers to seek first God's kingdom and His righteousness, and then He promises we will have all we need (Matthew 6:33).

It is also true that our willpower is limited. Our dedication wanes. Our intentions are good but our follow-through is shaky. We don't have what it takes to revolutionize our entire lives. But God does — and He lives in us. "By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence" (2 Peter 1:3, NLT).

You absolutely have time to spend 10 or 20 minutes a day getting to know God and His promises for you in His Word. You also have the extra eight seconds it typically takes to put an item back in its place. Watch one less TV show a night and you'll have created time to read three or more books every month, and take a brisk walk after dinner. Seek God first - time after time - and you'll even have the power you need to put down the brownies or cigarettes.

We are creatures of habit - let's make it our habit in 2011 to seek God first each day and commit our plans to Him. I think we will marvel at the results, time and again.

Dear Lord, today I seek Your face, wisdom and Your will. I give my plans to You and I ask that I may operate in Your power. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

...
Application Steps:

Spend the next 10 minutes alone with God and your open Bible.

Reflections:

For the Holy Spirit to facilitate God's work and purposes in me, He must first (re)define my definition of reality, and my priorities.

Power Verses:

Psalm 37:5, "Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act." (ESV)

Ephesians 5:15-16, "So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days." (NLT)

Psalm 90:12, "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (NIV)

© 2011 by Rachel Olsen. All rights reserved

So, What About Those New Year's Resolutions?

I read the following devotional today, and I thought, "Hmmm..." I have been at fault for some of the things implied here. So as I set my goals for this year, how will I handle them? What about you? I wish you the best success in fulfilling your goals for 2011. Happy New Year!

-Clarissa

Encouragement for Today - Jan. 5, 2011

Keeping My New Year's Resolutions to Myself
by Glynnis Whitwer

"The king of Israel answered, ‘Tell him: "One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off."'" - 1 Kings 20:11 (NIV)

Devotion:
I'm done with announcing my New Year's Resolutions. I know some people thrive on accountability from announcing goals. I'm not one of them. Once, I announced on my blog I was losing weight, and I gained five pounds. There was something seriously wrong with that situation.

Recently, I heard successful entrepreneur Derek Sivers explain why some people shouldn't announce their goals. According to several scientific studies, it seems some of us get mental gratification just by talking about our goals without actually doing the work. While this opposes common understanding of accountability, I can see the truth in it.

There have been times when I've taken pride in myself for identifying a worthwhile goal. It's like there's this striving little part of me that puffs up ever so slightly when declaring what I'm going to accomplish. It's definitely a cousin of boasting, only so much more refined. Do I imagine your admiration just in the speaking of my goals? Does it make me seem smarter or bolder than I am?

You'd never know from the surface these thoughts dance around my subconscious. It doesn't even happen to me all the time. But for some reason, New Year's Resolutions are the worst. It's so much easier to declare a grand resolution than do the steadfast daily marching needed to cross the finish line.

Whether it's neglected resolutions, sales pitches that don't pan out, or political promises, we live in a society of sometimes lofty declarations. Yet I've learned the hard way that words are empty without the steadfast commitment to live them out. Time and truth go hand-in-hand.

The Bible is quite clear that actions speak louder than words. There's an interesting statement made in 1 Kings 20:11 that rings true. It's spoken by Ahab, king of Israel, when he faced attack by Ben-Hadad, king of Aram. Ben-Hadad sent threatening messages, trying to intimidate Ahab. Kind of like an athlete boasting assuredly that he will win tonight's game.

In the face of the final threat, Ahab said to Beh-Hadad's messenger, "Tell him: ‘One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.'" In other words, save the talking for after you've accomplished the goal.

Now those are words worth memorizing. And they speak vividly to me today in the face of yet another year of potential and promise. The biblical principal behind them is: Do not boast - and if you boast, boast in Christ. In our age of status updates and tweets, it can be tempting to make ourselves seem more interesting, important, ambitious or productive than we really are, yet.

I'm not saying it's wrong. It's just not right for me. So instead of making a public declaration of any New Year's Resolutions, I'm choosing to invest in my standing orders from God, while listening for His future assignments.

And I'm not telling anyone about it. Except you.

Dear Lord, thank You for the truth found throughout Your Word. Help me to grasp hold of this truth and apply it to my life. I long to be a faithful, diligent servant - one You can trust to do what she's asked. Help me be that woman. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Application Steps:
Resolutions aren't bad, but the idea is to back them up with diligent work. Identify one goal you have and the next practical step you can take toward completion....

Reflections:
What are your thoughts about announcing goals? Have you ever announced something, only to quit before completion?

Should a Christian have a different approach to setting New Year's Resolutions? If so, how should we be different?

Power Verses:
1 Peter 5:10, "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." (NIV)

Proverbs 16:2-3, "All a person's ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the LORD. Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans." (NIV)

© 2011 by Glynnis Whitwer. All rights reserved.

It Doesn't Happen Overnight

The following excerpt is from an entry on Dan Miller's 48 Days website. The title of the full entry is What On Earth Have You Done?

However, an authentic spirituality will celebrate our capacity to learn, grow and develop – using the seeds of talent given to each of us by God and then developing them into something useful and inspiring. No baby is born a great writer, artist, scientist, mommy or apostle of peace. Studying, practicing and polishing our creative gift is not a selfish bid for attention and fame. If you don’t do that you grieve our Creator and deprive the world of the gift you were intended to deliver.

Are we putting too much pressure on ourselves to change? Have we considered the idea that the process might be a little easier if we gave ourselves time to change?


"For everything there is an appointed time, and an appropriate time for every activity on earth:" (Ecclesiates 3:1 .NET)

"Have a Good Idea? Expect Opposition" by Dan Miller

I read this on Crosswalk.com today. It's another example of why we should not give up our dreams of change during our time of change.

Have a Good Idea? Expect Opposition
by Dan Miller
48days.com

One of the great thinkers of the world was Plato. In describing his primary philosophy he compared people to prisoners chained in a cave. There is only a small fire illuminating our environment. The only reality we know is that tiny space in our cave. But every now and then some cave dweller breaks free from the chains, steps out of the cave and is immediately blinded by the light.

He can only see a blurry version of the Truth because his eyes cannot adjust to what all he sees. Eventually though, he will see a new reality that his old comrades cannot. So the enlightened individual returns to the cave and tries to tell the others what they are missing. Now here's where it gets interesting. Will he be welcomed with open arms? Will his old comrades thank him for sharing his new insights and opportunities? Not according to Plato. He suggests that the prophet will be killed by his former colleagues -- which history appears to confirm.

So 2300 years later -- are you surprised when your former co-workers think you're stupid for suggesting you can survive without a "real job" with "real benefits?" Or for believing that you can take your idea for making a better yo-yo and turn it into real income? Or for building a straw house (like my son Kevin is doing in ). Don't you remember the three little pigs? Well, sometimes old fairy tales just aren't true.

Don't expect your great idea to be embraced by all the old cave dwellers. There will always be whiners, naysayers, and small thinkers. If you're on a different path you can expect criticism, ridicule and laughter as they huddle around their little but familiar fire. Just don't let them kill you -- or your idea. Keep looking for more light.

Originally posted March 2008.

"If one of you is planning to build a tower, you sit down first and figure out what it will cost, to see if you have enough money to finish the job." - (Luke 14:28 GNB)

Don't Berate But Give Yourself Grace

So, I came across a devotional yesterday that inspired this entry. When we fail or do wrong, we tend to put ourselves down. It's as if continual berating of ourselves will give us the desire or motivation to do things better in the future. However, stop and think about that for a moment. Has this course of action helped you yet? Are you more motivated to do something when someone is berating you or when someone encourages you? There is a saying that goes, "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." (Just a side note: I always thought it was bees until I looked it up. Smile.) Just as we would like for others to have grace upon us when we mess up, let's also have grace upon ourselves when we do the same. That grace will take us further in life--and closer to our goal which has created this time of change--than criticizing and berating will do.

Here is the aforementioned devotional, and it is from Charles Spurgeon's book Morning and Evening.

November 6th
Morning

I will pour water upon him that is thirsty.”
- Isaiah 44:3, KJV

When a believer has fallen into a low, sad state of feeling, he often tries to lift himself out of it by chastening himself with dark and doleful fears. Such is not the way to rise from the dust, but to continue in it. As well chain the eagle’s wing to make it mount, as doubt in order to increase our grace. It is not the law, but the gospel which saves the seeking soul at first; and it is not a legal bondage, but gospel liberty which can restore the fainting believer afterwards.

Slavish fear brings not back the backslider to God, but the sweet wooings of love allure him to Jesus’ bosom. Are you this morning thirsting for the living God, and unhappy because you cannot find him to the delight of your heart? Have you lost the joy of religion, and is this your prayer, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation”? Are you conscious also that you are barren, like the dry ground; that you are not bringing forth the fruit unto God which he has a right to expect of you; that you are not so useful in the Church, or in the world, as your heart desires to be? Then here is exactly the promise which you need, “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty.” You shall receive the grace you so much require, and you shall have it to the utmost reach of your needs.

Water refreshes the thirsty: you shall be refreshed; your desires shall be gratified. Water quickens sleeping vegetable life: your life shall be quickened by fresh grace. Water swells the buds and makes the fruits ripen; you shall have fructifying grace: you shall be made fruitful in the ways of God. Whatever good quality there is in divine grace, you shall enjoy it to the full. All the riches of divine grace you shall receive in plenty; you shall be as it were drenched with it: and as sometimes the meadows become flooded by the bursting rivers, and the fields are turned into pools, so shall you be-the thirsty land shall be springs of water.

"For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:"
(Isaiah 44:3, KVJ)

"Remodeling" by Kelly O'Dell Stanley

My blogging has been infrequent and skattered at best this year. It's a time of unexpected change that's changing old mindsets and building new ones. It's something similar to Kelly's experience in the following article.

Remodeling
I'm a lot like the house I fixed up.
by Kelly O'Dell Stanley

When my husband and I bought a new (old) house, people thought we were crazy. But I had a vision. Never mind that the kitchen had ugly gray paneling on the walls, yellow-flecked Formica® countertops, blue plaid wallpaper, and poorly arranged appliances and countertops.

It didn't matter that the living room was papered in a busy, rust- and gold-colored print with birds and carriages, and had worn, gold sculptured carpet covering the hardwood floors. The shape of the rooms and the transom windows and 10-foot doors were hard to see in all that clutter, but I knew they were there.

In my mind, I could see the end result—the mix of textures, the colors of the décor, the way I'd emphasize the architectural features, and the way the rooms would flow together. I knew it would be perfect.

Partway through the process, though, I became less sure. Much less. We had a whole house to redo. Although the lines were good, every surface needed something. Peeling up the shag carpet, we discovered a spongy residue that had to be scraped off by hand. Removing wallpaper revealed cracks we didn't expect. The cabinets weren't a standard depth, meaning the sink and countertop we'd purchased didn't fit without some inspired retrofitting. The filthy cast iron bathtub had to be smashed into pieces to be carried through the bathroom door. The electricians ran into one problem after another as they rewired, hung new lights, wired new outlets. We had to remove a lowered ceiling, haul off trash, wash and scrub and paint—and my hands, elbows and shoulders ached.

I developed tendonitis, and my doctor said I shouldn't paint. But I discovered that if I shook out my hands every little bit, I could manage 20 minutes at a time before the pain became excruciating. It was one thing after another after another, and I started to believe that the process would never end.

Glances into the Future
Walking through the debris covering the floor from the demolition and seeing the cabinet frames without the doors, cut apart for rebuilding, I was deeply discouraged. It was so much harder than I expected, and it took so much time. All my family and friends were helping—my husband worked on something every night when he got home from work, my friends brought bottles of wine and wallpaper scrapers—but I felt the weight of it all.

I didn't know what to do most of the time, and without the help of my dad, I never would have made it through. He came and patiently, creatively, thoroughly rebuilt the kitchen for me, one step at a time. If something didn't fit, we re-cut it. If something broke, we made a new one. Each task brought forward another problem, and each time, as I was ready to cry, my dad stepped back, thought for a minute, and presented a solution. He's an artist, and his father had been a cabinet-maker, so he knew how to build things. Sometimes our first attempt didn't work, so we'd have to try again.

I spent the summer wanting to cry, to curl up into a ball somewhere and never come out. But almost daily, my dad would call. "I'm on my way. Meet me over there?" I'd make excuses to my clients, change into old clothes, and walk the block to the new house to wait for him. Slowly but surely, the kitchen came together, and I loved the time we spent together, side by side.

I'm not even sure when it happened, when we finally turned the corner from disaster to improvement. But we did. Near the end of the summer, I was granted moments, glances into the future, insight into the finished product.

At first, they were mere glimpses, a view stolen through a keyhole. Eventually the view became wider, until whole rooms were complete. Paint cans were banished to the basement, we relinquished the trailer used to haul trash to the dump, and the to-do list shrank to just a couple items. Now the house is beautiful, stylish, and complete. But the most dramatic change, my favorite part, is my new kitchen. When I walk through it, I'm filled with wonder. Gleaming new countertops, colorful cabinets, pretty brushed nickel hardware, crisp white wainscoting, shiny floor. Cabinets and drawers properly positioned, appliances in the right place, straight corners and clean surfaces, and every detail as it should be.

God's Remodeling
My mom walked into the kitchen one day when we were nearly done and mused out loud, "I never thought it could look this good. Did you?" Yes. My dad and I did. We had our moments of doubt, our disappointments and failures and frustrations. But all the effort was worth it. I'm so proud of what we accomplished, and so is he. It's not his kitchen, yet he retains ownership of the transformation.

Reminds me of how God works with us. He sees something inside us—an inherent beauty, a solid structure—and he goes to work. The change isn't immediate, and sometimes things look worse before they start to look better. There are times when we're just downright ugly and a big ol' mess. But he's patient and creative and oh-so-thorough. If something doesn't work, he fixes it. If it's broken, he tosses it out and replaces it with something new. If it cracks, he makes a new one to replace it. The solutions are never what you expect, and sometimes the remodeling creates other, new issues to deal with. Yet he steadfastly continues the work he began, knowing the end result will be glorious, better than anyone ever imagined. He knows exactly what he's doing.

All he wants is to spend time with us, working side by side. All he asks is that we trust his abilities and yield ourselves to his vision. So we do, eagerly awaiting the time when we will see what he had in mind for us all along.

To read more of Kelly's writing, visit her blog the whole box of donuts.


"For I know what I have planned for you,'says the LORD.' I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope." (Jeremiah 29:11 .NET Bible)

"Clearing Up Career Confusion" by K. and K. Brennfleck

I read the following article on Crosswalk.com today. Although it's about making changes in your career, there are parts that are applicable to making life changes as well.

Clearing Up Career Confusion
by Kevin Brennfleck and Kay Marie Brennfleck

Are you thinking about making a career change? Too often, thinking about it is as far as many people go. If you're in a career that you don't like, you probably daydream about doing something different that you would really enjoy. You imagine enjoying going to work, and feeling productive and fulfilled each day. In your dream job, your work fits your schedule, priorities, values and salary needs. At a deep level, you can feel the difference a new job would make in your life.

Why People Stay Stuck in the Wrong Jobs

You continue dreaming day after day (or even year after year) about making a career change, yet don't do anything about it. Why? Here are the two most typical reasons:

Confusion. While many people know what they don't want to do, they are unclear about what type of work they would like to do. Or, if they have a vision of work that would fit them well, they are foggy about how to get into that career. You can't make a successful career change until you know specifically what change you want to make and have a game plan for the transition.

Fear. When people say they "hate" their jobs, wouldn't you expect they would be anxious to get into a new job? Often, however, people choose to stay in their misery because it is familiar. They choose the known over the unknown. We humans are fearful creatures. When faced with making a change, we tend to think about all the "what-ifs," imagine the worst possible outcomes, treat those thoughts as though they are the "truth about how things are," and therefore convince ourselves to stay stuck where we are.

If you are in work that is a poor fit, take a minute to ask yourself why you aren't taking steps to get out of it. Making the right diagnosis is the first step in fixing something. Determine whether your inertia is due to a lack of career direction, not having a do-able game plan for making a change, and/or some type of fear. Once you tell yourself the truth about why you are stuck, you can more easily figure out what to do about it.

Three Tips for Clearing Up Career Confusion

1. Take a look at what's wrong with your job. Take our Career Check-up Inventory to help determine what factors in your current (or most recent) job contribute most to your dissatisfaction. The inventory can help you determine whether you need to make changes in your current job, find a similar job in a different company or make a significant career change.

2. Try out a "dream job." Many people talk themselves out of even looking into a possible dream job because making a change seems impossible. While it is true that making a change will require moving out of your comfort zone, the secret to making successful changes is taking bite-sized, do-able steps. Here are some ways you can begin moving from dream to reality:

- Read about your dream job. Search for books about it at Amazon.com or google the job title to see what you can find on the Internet.

- Watch TV shows, documentaries or You Tube videos of people doing this work. Picture yourself in this career to see if it "fits."

- Talk to people who do this job. Ask them what they like about their job; what they don't like; how they got into the field; typical salary ranges for the profession; recommendations for how to decide if the work would be a good fit for you; etc. You can also ask them for names of other people in the field you could interview. (As you conduct these "informational interviews," you will be building a contact network that will come in handy later if you decide to pursue this career.)

- Volunteer. You can actively try out a particular type of work by volunteering your time to your church or a non-profit agency. (If you are in school, you can also seek out appropriate internship experiences.) For example, if you are interested in becoming a special events planner, volunteer to help out with a 5K fundraiser for a local non-profit. If you are considering teaching, start in your church. Brainstorm with friends and family members about how you might get some hands-on experience in a particular field, and then take the initiative to ask about opportunities. You will never know what is possible until you ask!

Once you have "tried on" your dream job in a number of ways, you will be better able to assess if it really is a good fit for you. You will also know more about the specific steps for getting into this type of work, and have developed some connections to help in your transition. Your confusion will then be replaced by much more clarity!

3. Expose your fears to the light of day. Ever notice how overwhelming your fear can be at 2:00 a.m.? When you awake in the middle of the night, anxious thoughts can be paralyzing. Usually, however, in the morning you can more realistically deal with fears and figure out what to do about them. In the same way, it is important to name the fears you feel when you think about making a change so that you can examine them rationally. Unexamined fears will keep you stuck!

The good news is that often people find that their fears about making a career change decrease as they find out more about their dream job. Fears about the unknown diminish when you learn more about the field. You may discover that many of your fears were unfounded: You may find out, for example, that you can earn more in this field that you had previously imagined. You won't need to start "at the bottom." Your age is not a big factor. Etc. If you find that some of your concerns are accurate, such as the field really is competitive to get into, you can explore how others have succeeded in spite of this obstacle. Information is a key to combating fear.

A fear of failure (Can I really make it in this field?) can be addressed as you try out the new area of work through volunteering. You will be building your skills and experience as you assess how well the work fits your God-given design. You may find that you have the potential to excel in this career field because it interests you and you are therefore motivated to learn and grow.

Confusion is not a Terminal Condition

You don't have to live with career confusion. Although the prospect of making a career change can seem daunting, there are steps you can take to achieve your dream. God designed you for a purpose. His power and wisdom are available to you. He will be with you as you take the necessary steps to discover and live your vocational calling!

"For the Spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, his Spirit fills us with power, love, and self-control." (2 Timothy 1:7 GNB)