I will be to you what the sun is to the flower, what the water of the ocean is to the fish, what the sky is to the birds. I will give you life, light, and strength. I will surround you and preserve you, so that in my you may love, move, and have your being, existing in me when apart from Me you would die. I will be to you as the wide-open skies, in that I will liberate your spirit in such fashion that you will not be earthbound.

You will live in the realm where the things of earth will not be able to impede and obstruct and limit your movement; but you will be freed in me to a place where your spirit may soar as the eagle, and you may make your nest in a place of safety and solitude, unmolested and undefiled by the sordidness of the world.

You will have companionship but it will be the companionship of those like-minded with you; yes, those who like yourself are done with beggarly elements and whose sense of values has been readjusted so that they deem the unseen as of greater worth than the seen, and the spiritual riches more precious than the wealth of the world.

Be done with petty things. Be done with small dreams. Give me all that you have and are; and I will share with you abundantly all that I have and all that I have and all that I am.

Are you ready to be done with “petty things and small dreams”? In what ways do you need to dream bigger? Are you excited for a new adventure, or still holding on to your promise of a brighter tomorrow? Wherever you are, decide today to believe God has big plans for you and through those plans will reveal Who He is and Who you are IN Him…

” She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]; with her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard” Prov 31:16

I’d like to ask you a question. How do you decide how to spend your time?  Think about that for a moment, and jot down an honest answer…perhaps according to your kid’s activities (co-ops, Awana, or sports), the baby’s schedule, or your husband’s schedule. Maybe you have a job or own a business and you have to plan around those hours spent outside the home. Or the schedule you set for your home school day may set the pace for you. I’m sure there are many, many answers.

I would like to challenge you a little today. I have learned some hard lessons over the past 12 months, dealing with health challenges that left me drained and unable to function at the energy level I was used to. I have always been a busy person. (My grandmother used to say, “You can always count on a busy person.” I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it was ingrained in me young!) I had to start choosing what I could do and what I had to let go of. It was extremely difficult for me to know what to do. I had to get really honest about my priorities and let go of those things that were not high on the list.

That’s really the key with time. If we live according to our priorities then time becomes our ally…not our enemy. When we keep our priorities right, we save time and strength, just like the woman in our verse. She wisely considers her actions before she accepts a new responsibility. She says no if necessary, and then with her savings of time and strength, she plants in her own vineyard. There is so much here that we can apply to our lives. If we are frugal about how we spend our time, than we can save both time and strength. With that savings, we can plant into our own lives. Just the opposite is true, when I’m over-extended; I use up all my time and strength and have nothing left to put into my home, family, or relationships.

Now, I can hear you saying, “You don’t know how busy I am!” Being busy isn’t necessarily the problem; however if you aren’t living your priorities, then we need to make a change. If we are consistently frustrated and worn-out, then maybe we need to save some time and strength to plant in our own “vineyards.” It’s really about being in control of our time, making wise decisions, and not feeling a slave to the clock or our schedule.

Prayer: Father, I admit that I have not enjoyed life to its fullest—help me to enjoy my life in spite of my problems, in site of the things that I so want to change. You know each of these things Lord, and I commit them to You. I will not worry or fret over them, but instead will leave them in your hands and go about enjoying life anyway! I will not let any of them be an excuse for a lousy attitude or a short temper. Thank You for Your grace and ability working in me to do this, in Jesus’ name, amen.

“Our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God…a life-giving perfume.”
(II Corinthians 2:15 NLT)

Has this ever happened to you?  I got in my car the other day, and something didn’t smell right.  I’m not sure what it was, but I almost went and bought an air freshener.  How about when you open the fridge and the mysterious smell hits you?  You search and search and can’t seem to figure out what it is.  Maybe it’s just me, but those persistent smells really bug me!

You know, just like a car, our lives have an aroma; a fragrance emitted to those around us, and most importantly, to God.  This fragrance is either drawing others to us, or repelling them.  Even our homes and relationships release an “aroma” that attracts others or just the opposite, repels them from us.

In the natural, this concept needs no explanation.  I remember our pastor telling about a man who used to come to their church named Arthur.  Arthur stunk; on the outside that is.  He was a slap-in-the-face poster child for body odor.  But his heart was pure, and as big as all get-out!  So whenever a visitor came to church Arthur plopped down right beside them.  As my pastor jokingly says, “That could be why we had so much trouble growing in those early days.”  Maybe you’ve known someone like that.  You loved them, but it was hard to be around them.

The opposite is true as well. Some people look and smell good on the outside, but inside their attitude and their outlook just stinks!  These are examples from the physical world; however, I believe the principle is just as real in the spirit realm.

Our verse today tells us our lives are a fragrance; one that can be pleasing to God.  We need to consider what fragrance our lives, homes, and families are giving off.  Consider how our attitudes, mindsets, words, and actions “smell” to those around us, and most importantly, to God.  This revelation can impact not only our personal and spiritual lives; it’s the perfect illustration to help our children understand that inner thoughts and attitudes matter to God.   As a result, our lives will be more pleasing to God, more attractive to others, and more effective in accomplishing what God has called us to do!

Prayer: Lord, we thank You in advance for this revelation. I pray You help me receive and put into action the thoughts and ideas relating to the fragrance of our lives.  May it be a truly transforming moment for me, and a tremendous teaching moment for my children, in Jesus’ name, amen.

I’ve never actually run in a race. Well, in Jr high I was on the track team and I suppose I ran in races. I don’t really remember any meaningful learning experiences from those races though. (Maybe I have blocked it out…).  I wish I could use a great example of when I ran a marathon, or how I triumphantly crossed a finish line against all odds. The best I can do, is to tell you I finished the season with the team even though I didn’t win any races and was pretty miserable most of the time. That should count for something…

A  friend reminded me yesterday that we ARE in a race, and sometimes all we can do is keep running.

We may feel we aren’t making ANY progress, or the course is TOO hard, or we are just too worn out to keep going. We may want to quit the race all together and do something else with our time. BUT what if, this is just a leg in the race—a bumpy, frustrating, uncomfortable, uphill leg of the race—and very soon around a bend in the course, you hit the next leg? That would be different wouldn’t it? Now, you have a reason to run to get to what’s ahead. There is a purpose in every step…you might even find fresh passion and determination to push through this JUST to get to what lies ahead.

Now, I KNOW we are supposed to be content and joyful in ALL circumstances. But let’s be real for a minute. I may be content to know God is working in my life, but I don’t have to like all the circumstances or feelings I deal with, do I? Maybe like me, you’ve been running with your head down for so long, you forgot that there is more up ahead…there is something different…and better.   My encouragement is, all we really have to do is keep running. Pretty soon each of us will look back (way, way back) on this leg of the race and understand it’s purpose. I may even appreciate how it made me stronger. But for now, it’s enough to know there is something up ahead worth running towards.

For me, I’d like to just keep up with my current projects…and have the foresight to plan dinner. (That would be a global event in our home!) There are so many times when I feel that even though I’m doing all God’s called me to, it’s just not enough. Certainly there must be something bigger He wants me to do; not just care for my home and family, encourage others, love and pray for my family, live a life of compassion and being an example to others. Certainly there must be more…

I remember reading about Susannah Wesley and how each day she prayed, “Dear God, guide me. Help me do Thy will. Make my life count.” Did she have any idea that God was answering her prayer as she made dinner and taught her children to love God? Did she have any idea that her life and influence would touch nations and impact millions of lives? I doubt it. Read on: “Samuel Wesley, Susannah’s husband was certainly correct when he told her, ‘Some of the truly great people are the ones who were faithful in doing simple things.’” (Susannah Wesley by Charles Ludwig, page 89) It’s not about the vastness of our ministry; it’s about our faithfulness to it.

The often quoted verse says it so well, “Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little…” (Matthew 25:21 AMP). Be it caring for a sick child or parent, befriending a neighbor, serving our mates, maintaining a good attitude. Each of these by themselves may seem insignificant, yet they comprise the fullness of God’s will. Our faithfulness in even the small things can bring a big degree of satisfaction, and is all God really desires from us. Do you have a hard time accepting that? I know I do—at times. And then I get a note from a friend reminding me that God is pleased with me. That my faithfulness has not gone unnoticed. Wow.

Today I give you the same message! God is pleased with you. He’s not saying, “Why doesn’t she do more?” He’s saying, “Look how carefully she obeys me. Look how attentive she is to her home and family. Look how joyfully she cares for the little things I’ve given her to do.” Keep this in mind as you go about your day. Make time to be faithful in the little things, and never believe that they are insignificant or somehow not noticed by God! They are…