Route 2014

       Life is often compared to as a journey that takes us to places that we’ve never been before. In this journey, we often see rest stops along the way to give us a break from the difficulties that we have been encountering. I like to thank that the beginning of each new year as a “rest stop” to access where we’ve come from, where we are and where we are going.  

      The year of 2013 has been, for some, a very difficult year with many disappointments. Perhaps the road through this year has been one of heavy traffic and the speed that we wanted to travel was hampered. There were also many roadblocks that forced us to re-program our GPS and go a different direction. Some have experienced accidents along the way that caused great pain. But we are now faced with the opportunity to enter Route 2014 with a new direction and purpose. It’s time for us to focus on where we want to go, the things we want to accomplish and the make sure that we are well prepared for the journey ahead.  I’m sure that we will encounter more of the same challenges that we encountered on Route 2013, but having made it thus far should give us hope for the journey.

      In my files, I found something one has written that is great as we now turn to Route 2014. I’d like to give credit to the author; however, I cannot find who wrote this. It is entitled: Hope Shines Brightest.

“Hope shines brightest when the hour is darkest. Hope motivates when discouragement comes. Hope energizes when the body is tired. Hope sweetens while bitterness bites. Hope sings when all melodies are gone. Hope believes when evidence is eliminated. Hope listens for answers when no one is talking. Hope climbs over obstacles when no one is helping. Hope endures hardship when no one is caring. Hope smiles confidently when no one is laughing. Hope reaches for answers when no one is asking. Hope presses toward victory when no one is encouraging. Hope dares to give when no one is sharing. Hope brings the victory when no one is winning."[1]

Buckle-up for the journey ahead and enjoy your trip. This just may be the year where all you dreams and hopes become a reality.  Don’t be discouraged about the challenges; keep focused on the goal and this time next year when you are entering another rest area, you just may be surprised about the beauty of your journey.

Happy New Year

    

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”[2]

---

[1] unknown

[2] Rom 15:13 NIV

Interrupted Plans

     Have you ever had great plans for something special and suddenly, without any advance warning, circumstances change and the plans are changed.  We have all been through that at times; it may have been family issues, job status, financial situations or it might have been a life-long goal.  We know the disappointments that accompany this change, especially if the friends and relatives know of the plan.  It’s difficult to explain to them how things changed so quickly.  Now look at Mary and Joseph and think of the situation they were in when the angel appeared to them.

Mary and Joseph had great wedding plans.  They were going through the traditions and customs of the times and all of a sudden something changed the plan entirely—God entered into the plans.  Can you, for just a moment put yourself into Mary’s position?  Here she was most likely about fourteen years old and was still a virgin and now something special happened to her. The angel appeared to her and said, “Don't be afraid, Mary,…for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.”[1] Imagine the turmoil within her life trying to decide when and how to tell her parents and especially Joseph about the encounter with the angels and that the conception would be by the Holy Spirit.

      Now put yourself into Joseph’s position and try to understand this.  After all, he was going to take as much ridicule as Mary.  I’m sure his parents and friends did not and would not even believe his explanation.  While Joseph thought about it, he first of all thought about how to get out of the engagement. “But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”[2]

      What a difference it made when Mary and Joseph were willing to follow God’s plan for their lives rather than following the traditions and customs of the time.  Was it easy? No! Did it make any sense to them? No! Did they ever question the plan? Yes! Because they followed the plan, the whole world is now benefiting because of JESUS. 

      Christmas is a great time for each of us to ask, “Have I allowed God to enter into my life-plans and lead me in the direction that is best for me and those around?  Most of us have plans for what we want to accomplish in life, but is God in the plans?  What a difference it makes when we listen to the voice of the Lord and hear Him say, “For I know the plans I have for you,…They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”[3]

      This Christmas, let’s again, invite Him to lead us into the plan that He has for us.  He may want to take us to a new direction to which we’ve never gone. One thing for sure, He will never take us to a place that is not best for us! We may think that we know best but the scripture tells us, “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.”[4]

      If your personal plans have been shattered, listen to the voice of God and find what He has in store for you. He will direct—if we are willing to follow.

    “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” KJV

Merry Christmas!

    

---

[1] Luke 1:30-32 New Living Translation

[2] Matt 1:20-21 KJV

[3] Jer 29:11-12 TLB

[4] Prov 21:30 NIV

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving Day is quickly approaching and along with it, the great times of food, laughter, more food and then an anticipation of the busy schedules ahead.  Just the thought of the busy schedule often overrides the enjoyment and brings additional stress in one’s life.  It doesn’t have to be this way.  We can choose to remember and give thanks for the blessings of life just as easily as we tend to focus on the problems or challenges. 

Each of us has so much for which to be thankful; however, we often take for granted many of these things.  If one would take the time to write the negatives in one’s life on a sheet of paper and then start to write the positives or blessings on another, it is safe to say that the blessings would outnumber the negatives by a huge percentage.  If we are not careful, we will allow the clouds of negativity or problems dominate our thought process and therefore, we are not even aware of the “sunshine” that is all around us? There’s an old proverb that, “Every cloud has a silver lining.”  This is often quoted as a means of comforting one that is having difficulty.  It is another way of emphasizing that there is something positive that can be found in every situation, no matter how dark or the magnitude of a particular problem.

For many years, in our family, as we sat around the table on Thanksgiving, with the mouthwatering food before us, each would take turns to say one thing for which he/she was thankful.  Now I’m sure that one really wanted to say by the time it got around to his/her turn, “I’m thankful that I’m the last so we can eat before the food is cold,” but they didn’t.

Expressing thanks is something that requires discipline and consistency.  If one expresses thankfulness either to one’s spouse, children, other members of family, friends or to God on a sporadic basis, there will be a tendency take for granted the things others are doing for us. One will be surprised how the giving thanks or praise will overshadow the problems and will help  to rise above the dark clouds.

So this Thanksgiving, let’s try to concentrate on the positives or blessings and remember that, “every problem has a solution; every frustration offers an opportunity; every trial has an ending; every negative attracts a positive; and every ungrateful thought offers an avenue to praise and give thanks.”

Cole Porter wrote, “If you're worried and you can't sleep, just count your blessings instead of sheep and you'll fall asleep, counting your blessings.” Take time to Give Thanks.  The more we say it, the easier it becomes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

    “Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious — the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse  Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.”[1]

---

[1] Phil 4:8-9 The Message Bible