A Quote For Today

"Make room for the new you. You may not have totally determined who the new you is going to be, but you probably have decided that there are some things about the current you, that you want to change. Well while you are working on what the new you will be, start 'cleaning out a room' for the new you to live in. Get rid of the junk in your life both physical and mental that doesn't fit you anymore. Take things out of your schedule that are taking your time away from finding out what you want to do. By making room for the new you, you will create a vacuum that the new you will rush in to fill and you will be on your way to the top." -- Edward W. Smith, Sixty Seconds To Success

2 The LORD gave me this answer: "Write down clearly on tablets what I reveal to you, so that it can be read at a glance.
3 Put it in writing, because it is not yet time for it to come true. But the time is coming quickly, and what I show you will come true. It may seem slow in coming, but wait for it; it will certainly take place, and it will not be delayed. (Habakkuk 2:2-3 Good News Bible)

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

This was written by a dear friend. I have her permission to post it, but I didn't think to ask if I should reveal her name. Oh well, for now she will remain anonymous until I contact her again.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road
Passage Jeremiah 29:10-13:

10 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

We find here what may seem like a peculiar situation for the children of Israel. The chosen of the Almighty have found themselves captives in a heathen nation. Not only have the people been taken captive, but the leaders of their religious system of worship have been taken captive. (Jeremiah 29:1). The elders, the priests and the prophets. Those who stood as the very voice of God to the people found themselves imprisoned with the people.

Now we know that Babylon is representative of confusion (Genesis 11:1-9) – and confused Israel must have been. In many times past they had rebelled against God, repented and God had acted swiftly on their behalf. Rescue always seemed to come from the heavens for this people. This time, however, everything is on lock. The doors of the church are no longer open, and the Word comes to say don’t even believe your prophets (Jeremiah 29:8). For your prophets will come to you with a word of comfort that has not come from MY mouth, but from theirs! Verse 10 plainly declares, that it would be seventy years, a lifetime in our modern day estimation, before the captors bands would be broken. Through the lips of the prophet Jeremiah God says to Israel, “Get comfortable. You are going to be in this land called confusion for awhile.” (Jeremiah 29:5-7)

To the natural eye this seems counterproductive. It makes little sense for God to withhold His power to deliver, and allow His children to languish in confusion and chaos, and even instruct them to pray for the land that holds them prisoner. You see Israel had been caught up in the whirlwind of repercussions associated with their continuously rebellious behavior. They remind me of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. For those of you who have not seen the movie, allow me to share with you how this temperamental teenager finds herself worlds away from home.

Dorothy has decided that no one at home truly appreciates her or her dog Toto, and she runs away. It is while she is running that she encounters a wise old man who sends her back home. He tells her how good her family is and how lucky she is to have them. We have all had that experience – that moment right before we mess up, take that drink, go to that club, etc – when the phone rings and it is Momma, Granma or First Lady calling just to talk about the goodness of Jesus. Dorothy immediately starts home. You see, she has transitioned from doing what was wrong to doing what is right. However, her transition does not prohibit the storm that is on the way. See there was a yellow bricked road that God had for Dorothy to travel, and no amount of wise counsel could stop what God had already put in motion. But faith in the goodness and mercy of God comforts us, as we know that His ultimate plan is always to prosper us. Regardless of how the facts and figures add up to all negatives right now, His plan is your prosperity.

Now we may struggle to understand why He would send a storm Dorothy’s way. After all, she had repented, and turned and was on her way back home – much like the prodigal son had done. (Luke 15:11-31). But Dorothy’s transformation was in the journey; she had to take the yellow brick road. So, as that house began to twirl and things in her life grew out of control; as she found herself in a city that confused her – shattered her very perception of all that was right – God had her exactly where He wanted her! See it would take those 70 years in Babylon for there to be a Daniel in the Lion’s Den (Daniel 6:10-23) and a Shadrach, Meshach and Abendago in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:19-30). In the midst of the city called confusion God was making His glory known. God was pulling out of these heroes of faith what He had placed in them from the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-6) for such a time as this. He was changing a king’s heart, and preparing the way (through the display of His power) to deliver His chosen people.

But before the book of Daniel, there was the prophecy of Jeremiah. The prophet said to Israel, settle down in this city called confusion. I know it looks backwards. I know that scarecrows don’t talk where you come from and lions don’t cry, and there is definitely no use for a rusty old tin man. But just take the journey with me Dorothy. I know that they told you to follow this road to a city called Oz and find a man they call a Wizard. I realize that you are looking to his greatness to get you back home. But I am going to show you – along this yellow brick road – that the Power and the Greatness is already on you, and once you believe it and receive it, it will get in you. And when that POWER gets in you… then you can have the desires of your heart. You will witness those things being manifested before your face, and it will be undeniably the POWER of God working through the Power of His chosen vessel.

The Wizard of Oz wasn’t at the end of that yellow brick road – revelation was at the end of that yellow brick road. And I used the storm, the confusion, the longing, the hurt, the despair, the captivity to reveal to you the ME that I have placed in you. I know that you have been tossed and probably injured in the fall, but rise up, dust yourself off, click your heels together and let your Father know that you realize that your captivity has ended and home is wherever He sends you… Amen!

November 27, 2011

We're Working Towards Our 10,000 Hours

The following is a blog post by Dan Miller, author of 48 Days To the Work You Love. You can read the post below or read it from his website by clicking here.

Put in 10,000 hours – then we’ll talk

I frequently encounter employees who want a guaranteed salary before they show up the first day, musicians who want to be signed before they’ve proven their talent, house cleaners who want to be paid even if not needed, celebrities who expect a meaningful marriage after a 3-day romance, and authors who want my endorsement for their book but don’t want to “give” me a copy to read.

Have we forgotten that to reap a harvest of corn you have to first plant seeds, and to receive warmth from a stove you must first put wood in?

Charles Dickens wrote for the Evening Chronicle for nearly three years with no payment. Much to his surprise and delight, he was then approached by a young publisher who wanted to collect his writings into a volume along with ten prints from an illustrator. That success led to The Pickwick Papers and made him the most popular author in the world at that time (1836). Over the next twenty years, more than 1.6 million copies of Pickwick were sold.

Joanne and I taught a free weekly seminar called CareerLink for over eight
years, simply encouraging people and giving them our own copies of information that would help them, before the overnight success of 48 Days to the Work You Love.

In Outliers Malcolm Gladwell says that people who attain extraordinary success put in 10,000 hours before reaching their “success.” Today too many people are expecting a short-cut to fame and fortune.

What are you doing to put in your 10,000 hours toward the dream you know is coming?

"When God Hurts Your Feelings" by Lysa TerKeurst

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:12-13 (NIV 1984)

Has God ever hurt your feelings? I'll be honest, sometimes I'll read those verses from Philippians listed above and think to myself, "This is a tough pill to swallow."

Content in any and every situation?

Really?

Several years ago my daughter was a state champion gymnast. To see her do gymnastics was like looking at God smile. She was beautiful, graceful, and captivating to watch.

One night while practicing for one of the largest tournaments she'd ever compete in, she fell. It was a move she'd done hundreds of times with the greatest of ease. But this time something went terribly wrong and that one mistake ended her gymnastic dreams.

We spent a year going from doctor to doctor only to be told she'd never be able to support the weight of her body on her injured shoulder again.

I'll be honest, this was heart wrenching. Watching a 14 year old girl wrestle with the fact her dreams were stripped from her doesn't exactly lend itself to feelings of contentment. Now, I know in the grand scheme of life, people face much worse situations. But in her world, this was huge.

It was so tempting to wallow in the "why" questions and tell God He'd hurt our feelings.

Why did this happen?

Why didn't You stop this God?

Why weren't my prayers answered?

Have you ever been there? Have you ever had a big situation in your life where you just couldn't process why God would allow this to happen? Or maybe even a small annoyance like losing your keys or having a flat tire on a morning you really needed to be somewhere.

It's so tempting to wallow in the why.

Asking why is perfectly normal. Asking why isn't unspiritual. However, if asking why pushes us farther from God rather than drawing us closer to Him, it is the wrong question.

If asking why doesn't offer hope, what will?

The what question.

In other words: "Now that this is my reality, what am I supposed to do with it?"

Philippians 4:8, "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (NIV)

I like to call this verse "directions on where to park my mind."

And that's exactly what Ashley has had to do with her dashed gymnastics dreams. Instead of wallowing in why did this happen, I've had to help her say:

This is my reality, now what am I going to do with it?

What can I learn from this?

What part of this is for my protection?

What other opportunities could God be providing?

What maturity could God be building into me?

Switching from the why to the what question paves the road to parking our mind in a much better place.

Is it always easy? Nope.

But is it a way to find a perspective beyond situations where we feel God has allowed something in our lives we don't understand and we absolutely don't like? Yes.

I pray this helps you today. You can also download a free resource on how to change your why questions into what questions. Just go to my blog, www.LysaTerKeurst.com and click on the button "When God Hurts Your Feelings."

Dear Lord, I want to process everything I face in life through the filter of Your love. I know You love me. But sometimes it's just hard to understand the circumstances that come my way. I find myself consumed with trying to figure things out rather than looking for Your perspective and trusting You. Thank You for this new way to look at things. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Application Steps:
Mentally walk yourself through parking your mind in a better place by remembering an event that happened this week and looking for God's protection, provision and process of maturing you.

Reflections:
Am I afraid to have honest conversations with God about how I really feel about some of my circumstances?

How might it be helpful to really talk to God about things that hurt me?

Why is it helpful to ask what now, instead of wallowing in the why questions?

Power Verses:
Isaiah 55:8-9, "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.'" (NIV 1984)

Losing Your Way and Regaining Your Momentum: Where Did It Fall?

So, this short entry and its title is inspired by a series of messages preached by Pastor Steven Furtick of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. The series focused on Christians regaining their momentum for Christ. I'd like to take that thought and relate it to life. Looking at my recent posts it's obvious I haven't been attending to this blog, and the reason was simple. I had lost my way during this time of change. Basically, I gave up. Change--especially long periods of change--is not easy. There's a lot of struggle, sacrifice, and questioning with some of the questions being, "Am I really doing the right thing?", "Am I trying too hard to get where I want to be in life?", "Am I trying too hard to become something that I'm not," & "How do I keep dealing with these failures?" But all of these supposed hindrances are just life's stepping stones to take us towards the change we're searching after. I encourage you to continue on this journey of shedding old thoughts, ideas, and/or perceptions, because they can't be a part of where you're going. If they could have been, you would've reached your destination by now.

"...to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness..." (Isa 61:3 KJV)

"You can't expect beauty if you continue to hold onto your ashes." - Joyce Meyer [paraphrased]

Your Past Is Calling. Should You Answer?

This entry was inspired by a message preached at my church yesterday. I wasn't there for the service, however the gist of the message was that your ex is calling you but you should leave your past behind. Your ex in this case would be past experiences in your life. So I'm reframing the message to ask should you answer when your past is calling you?

What do I mean by your past? Well, I'm thinking of the reminders of your faults and mistakes. The things that you should or shouldn't have done and the things that you should or shouldn't have said. And oh yeah, what about when you let go of your standard(s)? Your past is calling to make you reflect on the times that you've failed--be it others, yourself, or God. Are you going to take the time to stop and answer the call by wasting time thinking on your past?

I said it's a waste of time to think on your past because, as the old saying goes, there is nothing that can be done about it. Granted you can try to correct some of your mistakes, but the actions that took place cannot be changed. It's helpful to learn from your mistakes and failures. When you do that, you know what roads not to take when it comes to making decisions or choices in your life. However, dwelling on your past failures only keeps you bogged down in the present. Your desire may be to move forward, but how can you when you're so busy looking at the past?

I'll talk about me and may be that will help. I've made mistakes that I've dwelt on over and over and over again. In other words, my past was calling and I took the time to answer. I thought about, "Well, if I hadn't done that, maybe this would have been different," or, "Why did you let that happen? You knew better." Yet, the one thought that has tripped me up the most is, "Now I can't look down on others." Yep, I said it. In my recent past, the idea that as long as you stay focused you won't make certain mistakes has not been my reality. But when I stop to look at it, how sad is that? How sad is it to have a standard not so much to help others but to be able to look down on others and judge in your head and your heart internally (although you may never judge them verbally)?

Okay, this post may not be for everybody, and I may respin it to make it more general another day. But to those who can relate, let me say this. Stop answering the call of your past. You and I have made mistakes, and guess what we've learned? We're human. That's what humans do. However, do we use our humanity to continue to make intentional mistakes? No, we do not. Nor do we continue to try and live a life that allows us to look down on those who aren't living up to our standard. We take the mistakes, learn from them, leave them in the past, and move on with life. The lessons learned from them have the ability to make us stronger because now we have a better understanding of our weaknesses. We no longer depend upon our integrity because we realize we're just as human as the next person. Perfection doesn't stop here, and we should no longer expect it to.

So when your past comes calling, don't answer. It's not worth your time.


John 8:1-11 KJV

v. 1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
v. 2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
v. 3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
v. 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
v. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
v. 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
v. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
v. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
v. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
v. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
v. 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

When We Fall...

This was yesterday's Encouragement For Today devotional. It was written by Renee Swope.

Getting Up Again

"...though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again..." Proverbs 24:16a, (NIV)

I've always admired people who aren't afraid to fail. You know the ones who don't even consider defeat when they blow it; people who see a personal setback as just another goal to conquer.

I'm not always so courageous. In fact, I can be really hard on myself when I fail, and it doesn't even have to be a biggie. You see, I have what I call a "meanie in me" who replays my mistakes over and over, reminding me of how badly I've disappointed someone, or how impatient I was with my husband, or how harsh I was with my kids, or all sorts of ways that I fell short that day.

But the greatest defeat comes when I allow a mistake, a bad decision, sin, or a broken relationship to convince me that I might as well give up. Perhaps you have also allowed failure to knock you down, tie you up with the ropes of regret and hold you hostage like I have.

When I surveyed over 1200 women for my upcoming book, A Confident Heart, I discovered that our past failures, and our fear of failing again, are two of the biggest triggers that make us doubt ourselves.

Today's key verse, Proverbs 24:16, has helped me release the regret, guilt, fear and shame that have weighed me down and held me back. Take a minute to read it now and notice how it says the righteous will fall. That is right. Even those of us who have received the gift of Christ's righteousness and redemption will fall down. But we were never intended to stay down.

Instead of giving up Jesus empowers us to get up again.

In getting up, we can apologize and ask for forgiveness. In getting up, we can choose to try again with our kids, in our jobs, in our ministries, in our marriages, and in all of our mistakes. Because we trust that although we fall, God will help us up. Listen to His promise in Psalm 37:23-24 and as you read it insert your name in the blanks: "The steps of ____________ are established by the Lord, and He delights in ____________ way. When ____________ falls, __________ will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds ________ hand." (NASB)

When we get up again failure can actually help us become the confident women God created us to be because it makes us stronger and better — when we go to God for help. Failure can stretch us to do more than we think we can and push us to try other methods of doing things when one way doesn't work.

Yes, failure can be hurtful but it can also be beneficial. Failure produces wisdom when we ask for it and maturity when we learn from it.

The truth is, following Jesus is not about avoiding failures and being perfect. It's about accepting our weaknesses and becoming more dependent on God's perfect love and power at work in us. So the next time you fail to be the woman He calls you to be, or the woman you expect yourself to be, ask God to remind you of this truth.

We will sometimes fail to be who we want to be but we will get closer to who we are meant to be every time we fall and then choose to take God's hand so we can get up again!

Lord, I'm so thankful for Your grace that reminds me there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Because my steps are established by You, Lord, I will believe that You delight in me even when I fail or fall. Today, I want to take Your hand and trust Your heart as You pull me back up again and use my failures to help me become the confident woman You created me to be. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Application Steps:
List one or two areas of your life where you have felt like you were failing and wanted to give up — mainly on yourself. Then ask God to show you how you can get back up with His help.

Reflections:
Have I ever wanted to give up? What got me to that hard place and how can I receive God's grace and rely on His strength instead of my own?

Power Verses:
Psalm 37:23-24, "The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand." (NASB)

Psalm 73:26, "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (NIV)