When we

When we step away from our obedience to God and determine in our hearts that we have more important things to do, that there are activities, events that won't get done if we are bogged down in Bible study and prayer, we have very definitely missed the mark. We will discover there is absolutely less we will accomplish. Our lives will be topsy-turvy.

You may have much to do, to accomplish, but without God guiding you, teaching you, providing insight for you, what do you, have you gained?

I remember years ago thinking I wish we could live like the Bible teaches, but I didn't know how. When our church participated in the Purpose-Driven Life I embarked on a journey I never wanted to be sidetracked from. And a recent Sunday School book study, "Loving God With All Your Mind" by Elizabeth George reaffirms it.

Reading and studying the Bible daily, being in tune to what God may be saying to me throughout the day has become of utmost importance. It begins my day. I am better for it when He is there with me early in the day rather than later or not at all.

I am not an early morning person, but if getting up earlier to spend time with the one who enables me to be a better individual to myself and to others, then so be it.

You just don't want to procrastinate. Don't put off for another day. Make a list, check it more than once. Seek His will, consider, remember He knows all, He is. We are His creation. If it were not so, we would not be.

Our relationship to God on earth will determine our relationship to Him in eternity.

When we are absent from our home church and unable to fulfill our tithe, when we return how much do we give? What do we do if 10 percent of our income no longer exists? If we give less does it mean God considers us irreverent? Is it reasonable to feel guilty? Has Satan brought this fear upon me? How should I respond?

Fear means my trust, my faith in God is wavering, that I trust myself or another more than I trust Him. No! I can only do what the Lord commands. I must give. But what amount? The percentage was determined long ago, as was the obedience. Still, our money has dwindled. Will God show me something new? Does our tithe always go to our home church? The tithe is the top best you have. Not always in money. I remember reading that somewhere. How you live, helping another, sharing from your abundance with another.

"When God's at the center of your life, you worship. When He's not, you worry."

Help me Lord to not be consumed with worry, but only in worshiping you.

Ah, hindsight

We must not consider all of life based solely on ourselves. We must seek God's input, His will for each of us.

My thinking is not His thinking. My thinking can cause heartache, can get me and you and others in trouble.

Ah, hindsight. Don't you wish sometimes you had it a little sooner, so perhaps whatever you might say won't come back to haunt you? Learning is not easy. Hindsight is at least better than never seeing the error of your ways.

This morning as I was reviewing a handout taken from the book, "Loving God with All Your Mind" by Elizabeth George, I came across six points that could help us make decisions more wisely.

1. Will this cause me to compromise my character?

2. Could this put me in a potentially bad situation?

3. Could this hurt my influence with others?

4. Does this go against God's will? His word?

5. Will this draw me closer to God or further away?

6. Is it illegal, immoral or unethical?

Thoughts to definitely ponder upon.

And in Mark 8: 33a, when Jesus is speaking to Peter -- "Get behind Me Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men!" -- I am reminded how easy it is to remember me and forget God, and how that is not a good plan. Without God, I can do nothing, or that which I do do is foolishness. And I know well what foolishness I have given in to. Do not want to stay there. Want to be wise, stay focused on God, follow in His ways, not my own.

Comfort zones

Comfort zones. I know about them. It's trying to keep things the way they are or were regardless of what may or may not be the future. Like I didn't want to leave the comfort of the newsroom because of my singular perception of what classified (new department now called customer care) would be like. I didn't really have a clue what it would be like, but fear of and for the unknown was nearly greater than any possibilities God might have in mind for my good.

Well, it has been nearly a month since my move one floor down. Much has changed and more changes are coming. Many people have been moved out of their comfort zones and not all by choice. Economic necessity has prompted most if not all of it.

Between studying God's word, the Bible, Daniel Ekhaifo's book, "Pursue Your God-Given Dream," and Elizabeth George's book, "Loving God With All Your Mind," I've decided we should not settle for where we are or what we have and think that is good enough. What if God wants us to go beyond our comfort zone? What if He has some higher plane for us to travel? What if God has in mind a new job, a new task, a new challenge? We will never know if our goal is to retain what was. And what does it matter about the benefits? We talk about our needs. We need a certain salary or hourly wage, we need benefits, medical, dental, life insurance. We need. We must meet our expectations.

But do we? Must we? God knows what is going on. If you are His child, you know He knows. You know He always has your best interests at heart. You know He knows all things and He knows what He's doing.

Think back to God's purpose for you. Is it, "What can I get out of life?" No. It's about abiding with the Lord Jesus, in His word through study, meditation, obedience, learning how to live through Christ and teaching others to do the same, showing His love through us.

Jesus stepped out of His comfort zone ... for US, because He loved us, loves us still, because He knew it was His Father's will.

"With God all things are possible." (Matthew 19: 26a)

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8: 28)

Everything in life is touched first by the hands of God. Everything that comes -- good, bad, big, small -- is used by God for our good.

Only God can show you where He wants you to be. There is not any one other person who can give you the answers you seek. Only God is fully trustworthy, fully fail-proof. Input received from family, friends, co-workers, can be beneficial. But for the best insight, seek out God.

'This is what the Lord says: "Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness on the salty flats where no one lives. But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing delicious fruit." '(Jeremiah 17: 5-8)

Go beyond the comfort zone, abide with Christ for every occasion, in every situation. God will lead you and you will be content because of your one-to-one relationship with The One who truly matters. Be a blessing ... find opportunities to bring good to another. Move beyond ... meet challenges ... pursue dreams.

Loving, focusing, pursuing, following, obeying, abiding -- in God alone

My thoughts
scattered
today.

This here
and there
and
yet another.

Takes my mind off
front and center ....
Jesus!

Can not focus

Is it Satan
who brings
these things
to mind now?

They are not bad things

Is it Satan
too perhaps
who hides them
from me
when the
desire is
near?

Things that must get done
Must see to its end

God will enable me to
accomplish my desires

but I must
abide with Him
walk with Him
Can not be
walking
on my own
doing my own thing.
Must focus.
Only on God.

I made my list of all that needs to be done soon and very soon and over the next several months. And then I began. So here are my thoughts today, somewhat jumbled, but perhaps you will see what I am trying to say.

Sometimes books are bought to accompany, to bring an added dimension to our understanding of the Bible. The Bible contains every thing we need, but we don't always see it. Two such examples I have been reading are "Loving God with All Your Mind" by Elizabeth George and "Pursue Your God-given Dream" by Daniel Ekhaifo.

God is the central theme -- loving ... focusing ... pursuing ... following .... obeying ... abiding ... finding fulfillment.

George talks about purpose. Ekhaifo talks about dreams or our calling.

Are they not the same or similar?
What is God's purpose for you? What is God's dream for you?

What you think is your calling may not be what God has called you to do.

Perhaps you believed you were called to be a preacher of the gospel and you pursued that calling. But perhaps also you had a desire to help others, but you didn't see that desire as a calling or as a dream until many years later. Perhaps you've always liked to write, but ...

Shouldn't let the buts stop you.

God determines our purpose, not us. It is however, up to us to discover and recognize what is God's purpose for us.

God gives us dreams too. Not all dreams are from God, but that is not to say none of our dreams can come from Him.

I remind myself what Philippians 3:14 says, "I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Pressing on. Keeping on. Continuing to keep our focus on God, talking, abiding in Him, listening, being obedient to His teachings, following through.

My purpose -- to serve; to share the Gospel, to provide Biblical insights to others

My dream, my calling, my heart's desire -- to write

Ekhaifo says God's dream stands out from the rest because we know in our spirit that it is what we are meant to do. Until we have that deep longing, perhaps we don't even realize we have a God-given dream.

God knows you. He knows us much better, much more intensely that we know ourselves. He did create us. If God has given you a desire and you sort of sense it, talk to Him about it. If it is indeed from Him, He will confirm it within your heart.

My husband is an ordained Southern Baptist minister and a home health aide to dying men. His calling, his dream, his heart's desire is to be a hospice chaplain and that is what he is pursuing.

I write, edit obituaries for a daily newspaper. I have always enjoyed writing and within the newspaper organization had thought writing news obits to be my heart's desire.

Sometimes, things that we think are our calling, because that is where we are, are not. I mean we may have a vocation due to an interest somewhere in our life, but that vocation is not necessarily God's purpose for us, it is not necessarily our God-given dream.

It is maybe a stopping place for a length of time -- some of us ever so short, others many years. It's when we stay in that stopping place for a long time that maybe we don't see God's plans for us, because our fears are greater than our heart's desire.

God enables us to accomplish His purpose, our God-given dream, His calling for us. Resources will become available. When in God's will, He will ultimately provide everything we need. But we must stay focused on Him.

When we get off course, lose our primary focus, Satan digs in, heaping doubt and discouragement upon us.

God makes us passionate about our dream, Ekhaifo says. That passion will keep us going. It will continue to grow and flourish despite the opposition and resentment we find along the way.

I found a bookmark, "Take Time," written by an unknown author, to share with you.

Take Time

Take time to think;
it is the source of power.
Take time to read;
it is the foundation of wisdom.

Take time to play;
it is the secret of staying young.
Take time to be quiet;
it is the opportunity to seek God.

Take time to be aware;
it is the opportunity to help others.
Take time to love and be loved;
it is God's greatest gift.

Take time to laugh;
it is the music of the soul.
Take time to be friendly;
it is the road to happiness.

Take time to dream;
it is what the future is made of.
Take time to pray;
it is the greatest power on earth.

I also thought of the song "Follow That Dream," sung by Elvis Presley in 1961.