Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Going through "The Change"

I hope you got a laugh from that title. No I am not going through THE change (thank goodness), but my life is definitely going through some changes. I would like to ask that you please pray for me as God refines and brings my mind, soul, and body through a process of maturing.

I'm beginning to recognize when it is best to keep my mouth shut. (Some of you are laughing at this moment. Stop that.)

I'm learning what it means to truly respect my husband the way he deserves to be respected.

I've experienced victories in areas of my life I never thought possible.

I've gained weight. (No, I'm not pregnant.)

I'm beginning to think more before acting on something.

I'm doing more housework without being asked.

I can recognize complaining for what it is, and some times stop.

I have started realizing what friends to allow access in my life, what friends to speak to occasionally, and what "friends" to remove. (Not just in facebook.)

I'm becoming a fighter, instead of a by-stander (or a run-away-er).

There are other changes, but it's so difficult to think through all of them. For those of you that know me best, I hope you know what a challenge these things are for me and will pray for me at least once. I'm definitely having issues in some of these areas. I just want to be a better daughter for our King. I am certainly not living up to my potential.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Recognition

I just found out tonight that a dear friend of our family went home last month. She suffered for years from cancer. When I read the email from her mother, a charming lady - an alumna of Judson, I recognized that many things I have struggled with recently can not compare to the pain of losing a child. Even when that child is no longer in pain, and even though her mother is older than my grandmother and has experienced loss in so many areas of her life.

If you think about it, please pray for this wonderful, graceful Southern woman, who befriended me just because we went to the same school - albeit many years apart. Her daughter was, in many ways, her life-line and helped her with many everyday tasks. I am grieved at her passing.

Revelation 21:4 (ESV)

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Monday, October 5, 2009

A wonderful verse and "5 things"

Psalm 77:19, "Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen."

Our God can walk through the sea like we would walk through a puddle, except He would probably be more graceful. How great is our God!

The five things are something I learned from John Maxwell. At a work conference where he was the featured speaker, he talked about how to reach your goals and dreams. For the most part it is consistency and loyalty to a schedule of (lack of a better description) good things. For Maxwell these are his 5 things:

1. Everyday he reads
2. Everyday he files
3. Everyday he thinks
4. Everyday he asks questions
5. Everyday he writes

These five things happen literally every day. It doesn't always happen at the same times everyday, but the point is that he knows these five things will make him a better speaker and author, not to mention husband, father, friend, pastor, etc, etc. I think one of the biggest problem I've had in attaining certain goals is the lack of a consistent, albeit flexible, schedule. Have you tried reading for one hour every single day of something that would improve your business - whether you are an entrepreneur or employee? It really does make a difference in how you think about everything. And it makes you think! Why is reading such a chore to us? Goodness knows I spent way too much time in school (and thinking about going back for yet another degree, but that's besides the point). But I was reading books then that were not necessarily for personal growth - it was for the pursuit and growth of knowledge and critical / analytical thinking. Now that I have the choice to read what I want, I realized that Jane Austen entertains me for just so long before I have to read something that actually matters.

Filing is basically just taking notes on what you read and filing it away. Thinking is self-explanatory. Ask questions!! This is huge. How many of us stop asking questions because we think we pretty much know all we need to know, or that we can figure everything out on our own? This is a problem that I have had for some time, and when I started asking questions again I realized how much I do not know. People, don't let your ego get in the way of you growing and maturing as a person. On the flip side of that, if you are asking the same question over and over again, evaluate why you are doing that. Is it because you are seeking the answer YOU want to hear, or is it because you need to seek BETTER council? Don't ask questions of just any random person, or your friend of ten years who is in no better position than you are in life. Seek the council of those mature and wise in the way you want to grow and run with it.

Writing is Maxwell's thing, and it may not be yours. Here's the thing, keeping some sort of record of your thoughts, questions, notes from reading, etc, can actually help you in the future and can help you think through situations along the way. It also is a great tool for your descendants to help them grow and not make some of the same mistakes you made. (The historian in me seems to come out frequently when talking about things that could become primary sources!!) So even if you are not an author, keeping a blog, writing in a journal, taking notes in the margins of the books you read (make sure you buy them first!) can help hundreds of others, but first, it can help you grow as a person which will lead to success.

Thank you for letting me share.