The Last Day, The First Day

The last day. Tomorrow is the first day. The last day of the year. The first day of the new year. This is the day that you have, and not even that is promised to you. How will you live TODAY? Think about it. Sure, get your chores done; but live as though your life counted on it. It does. Live TODAY loving others; loving your self. Allow yourself to take in the wonders of what God has done and is doing. Allow yourself to contemplate how you have made it - even when you weren't sure about so any things. Live thankful TODAY. You see, so many will not have this day, or this hour. You are here by express purpose of God. Think on that.

I have to call on Paul: "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thought on what is true and honorable, and right, and pure, lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me- everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you" (Phil. 4:8&9 NLT).

Now you making a new pattern. TODAY. And then tomorrow do it again. Blessings for joy and peace, hope and love for the new year! enough for now.

It's Pattern Breaking Time

What happens when everything is going great and then you hit a wall? How do you react? Go ahead, think about it. Do you forge ahead? Do you revert to your old pattern? You do? How is that going for you? You see, most of the time we revert to your old pattern, which does not work.

So how can you get away from that old pattern? Let's first recognize what you do and look at the outcomes. Chart it. You need to see it before you can change. Go ahead. Let's break some bad patterns. Don't wait to start in the new year. Let's leave some stuff behind in this year. enough for now

Joy- Joy

Joy, joy, unspeakable joy. Wow. I need that Joy. I have found that it only comes from the shalom - the peace of God. That peace sets it all up for hearing, receiving, and resting is what God has for us. Yes, it is real. Oh yeah. It soothes, calms, restores, rejuvenates. This is an awesome time to get that joy. You don't have to wait until the new year. You change is now. Receive that. How? Glad you asked. Shift your focus from your stuff to the stuff of God. Don't you like how I brought that Philippians 4:8,9 in there?

You see, God has already set it out for you to be restored, to live fully, to rest whole in His will for your life. Don't let another day go by. Yeah, you were stuck in stupid stuff, but your un-stuckness (don't you like that?) - your un-stuckness was always there. 

Today, instead of focusing on your 'woe is me' focus on "How great Thou art'. Instead of 'what will I do?' focus on 'What God has done'. You see, sometimes we need to remember what God has already done in order to realize what He is presently doing and to hope in what He said He will do. 

Joy, breathe out fear, breathe in peace. Breathe out hurt, breathe in peace. Breathe out guilt, breaths in forgiveness. Yes, forgive yourself. Go ahead, joy, joy, unspeakable joy. enough for now.

You have Something to Celebrate

This is it! This is what I've been waiting for. This is the day in Christiandom. If Jesus had not been born, then he would not have walked this earth. If he had not walked this earth roughly 33 years, then he would not have been crucified and died. If he had not been crucified and died for my sins, then He would not have rose from the dead. If he had not rose from the dead, then I could not live free from all the pain, the hurt, the sorrow, the guilt, the day to day stuff. And yes, he sits at the right hand oft he father, having already sent us a Paraclete to walk along side of us guiding us. That is good news!

This is the day! Yesterday I felt melancholy because I was not with family. It's lonely sometimes. When I talked to my son, the conversation so blessed me. It was my Christmas. It was my kiss on the cheek from God. I love it when God does that.

Celebrate your life by celebrating the birth of the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace - Jesus! enough for now.

Expect

Expectation! We expect. No, not Santa. Not gifts. We expect the joy of celebrating the birth of Christ. What do we celebrate? Love. That is it. We celebrate the love of God for us by sending His only Son. We learned this verse when we were so young. "For God so love the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16 NIV). We celebrate because the birth of Jesus affords us life.

How can we celebrate? We celebrate by loving one another. Yeah, it is difficult to love some of these people. But love God loves them just as He loves you. Yeah, sometimes you feel unlovable, but God loves you, love yourself. You are special.  "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:34-35 NIV).

Expect every promise God has made. Expect to walk knowing your true identity in God. Blessings of restoration and renewal to you! Merry Christmas!

Positioning

In this season of expectation you must be ready. Positioning. God has positioned you for what He has for you. Some things He has moved you from, and some things He has brought you closer. . . It is all about God's positioning. What can you do with that? Position yourself to receive. If you are not clear on your position - ask. Post yourself to hear, and wait. Don't let your past moves dictate your present moves. And when you are clear move forward.

Contemplate what this season means to you. Remove the gifts and focus on THE GIFT to you. Look at what Jesus did for you. That is a lot of love for you. Focus on that. Yes, this is a season of newness, of expectation. Expect to hear, expect the newness of your journey. Recognize that God has positioned you for the express purpose of now. enough for now.

Come

This is a season of expectancy.  It is bigger than what you want for Christmas. Your biggest gift has already been delivered. We celebrate His birth. This is a season of expectancy. What are you expecting?  What are you waiting for? Watching for?

This is my season of expectancy. God said, "Come expecting, not fretting." That is enough right there. It is difficult at times; but I expect . . . I expect what God has promised me, and even more.

"Come expecting, not fretting." enough for now.

Blessings of Stillness.

May I be real? It is difficult, it is difficult to be still; even when God says so. Now that is out of the way. Let me tell you. It is difficult. But . . . yes there is a but. But when you do and you listen, then you can hear.

I actually have been laughing at where I am and realizing the real size of what I am facing. The size? Tiny, compared to the blessings of what God has already done. Tiny.

I encourage you to see "Beast of the Southern Wild," about six year old Hushpuppy and the world she lives in. She lives through a rough existence, yet is very philosophical for her age. One quote, "When it all goes quiet behind my eyes I see everything that made me flying around in invisible pieces. When I look too hard it goes away. But when it all goes quiet I see they're right here. I see that I'm a little piece of a big universe and that makes things right."  As Hushpuppy is followed by a hedgehog that grows as her problems grow. At a point in her life she turns to face the very large animal and stares it down.

You can't walk away from your problems, but must face them. Yon can't effectively face them unless you consult with the One who can walk with you through. It leads me back to being still, and hearing. Being still and knowing that He is God. Blessings of stillness. enough for now.

Know, Expect

In the midst of this awesome season I recognize that there are those who are hurting- who are lonely. And yes, God is still able, God is still God; but the hurting need to really know that. Those who are just a little down need to know that. It is not just something to say but something to know. I offer a word: "May my cry come before you oh Lord; give me understanding according to your word. May my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your promise" (Ps. 119:169-170 NIV).

Breathe, recognize and know the awesomeness of you are because of God's love for you. Walk in that knowing. "Come expecting, not fretting." That is my quote from God. I share that with you as you watch what God is doing in your life. enough for now.

Walk in Your More

Too often we take our circumstance as truth for everyone else. The danger is that it is not even truth for us.

Don't let your circumstance be your truth. Get directions from the TRUTH. No longer cage yourself, your emotions, your expectations based on what you have been through. To do so makes a pattern that you don't need and don't want.

You are more . . . walk in your more. enough for now.