**Sit quietly, eyes closed and in silence for one minute before reading.**
How will your bio read? What will it say about your life? What will it say about your identity, your character and your call(s)?
Maybe you feel like there is a lot of editing that needs to be done from previous chapters. Maybe you are excited, looking forward to the chapters ahead. Maybe you're nervous about the chapters ahead because they require you to trust the great Author more than ever.
God is the great Author of our stories and we get to participate in writing them as well. It is beautiful to watch the mystery of how this works.
If you feel like there is a lot of editing to do ... lean into grace, into forgiveness and receive healing. If you are anxious about the chapters to come ... release them to God, rest in His great love.
Wherever you are, enjoy the present chapter, actively contributing to your story and ultimately God's great story.
**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**
Showing posts with label present. Show all posts
Showing posts with label present. Show all posts
Monday, October 7, 2013
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Present Grace
**Sit quietly, eyes closed and in silence for one minute before reading.**
There is grace for the present. The moment you fail, the moment you behave unloving, the moment you forget about God. There is grace for the past, there is grace for the future and there is grace in the present.
When you are tempted to verbally, emotionally and mentally self-inflict, remember grace. God’s grace is with you now and always will be.
Receive His present grace.
**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**
There is grace for the present. The moment you fail, the moment you behave unloving, the moment you forget about God. There is grace for the past, there is grace for the future and there is grace in the present.
When you are tempted to verbally, emotionally and mentally self-inflict, remember grace. God’s grace is with you now and always will be.
Receive His present grace.
**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**
Thursday, June 27, 2013
The Present "Me"
**Sit quietly, eyes closed and in silence for one minute before reading.**
Who are you today? Who are you, in your successes, your failures, your strengths, your weaknesses?
You are not who you were and you are not who you will be.
As you grow more and more into the likeness of Christ, may you be gracious to your present “me”. Yes, we are growing, we are learning and being sharpened and yet we beat ourselves up for not being “there” yet. We beat ourselves up and reject our present selves because we are not who we will be.
There is grace in the present, there is grace in the moments you sin and you look nothing like Christ. There is grace to grow and there is the grace to be, who you are, now.
Live in the freedom of this grace. Live in the freedom that grace meets your imperfection in the present. Live in the freedom that God accepts you because of the grace of Jesus.
Give yourself grace today.
**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**
Who are you today? Who are you, in your successes, your failures, your strengths, your weaknesses?
You are not who you were and you are not who you will be.
As you grow more and more into the likeness of Christ, may you be gracious to your present “me”. Yes, we are growing, we are learning and being sharpened and yet we beat ourselves up for not being “there” yet. We beat ourselves up and reject our present selves because we are not who we will be.
There is grace in the present, there is grace in the moments you sin and you look nothing like Christ. There is grace to grow and there is the grace to be, who you are, now.
Live in the freedom of this grace. Live in the freedom that grace meets your imperfection in the present. Live in the freedom that God accepts you because of the grace of Jesus.
Give yourself grace today.
**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Line of Sight
**Sit quietly, eyes closed and in silence for one minute before reading.**
As I drive I come to a stop sign. I am good about looking both ways for oncoming traffic, runners, dogs, etc. I look far down to my left and far down to my right. I look far but a few times I find myself missing something near. Maybe it is a runner or a walker and they are right by the stop sign. One time, there was a woman on a bike who screamed as she was a afraid I might hit her.
As I reflect on my consistency in looking far left and far right I realize that I sometimes miss what is near. In some ways it is like looking far into the past and learning from it or making sure I don’t make the same mistake again. It is like looking far into the future and planning, making sure that nothing catches me off guard. As I focus on the past and future, I miss the present. I miss what is right in front of me.
How about you? Do you see what is in front of you or are you missing it?
Maybe it is a moment with a child? Maybe it is a moment with a friend? Maybe it is an opportunity to serve those near you? Maybe it is a moment that God is inviting you nearer yet you are too focused on the past or the future, to the left and to the right.
How will you look for what is nearest to you today?
**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**
As I drive I come to a stop sign. I am good about looking both ways for oncoming traffic, runners, dogs, etc. I look far down to my left and far down to my right. I look far but a few times I find myself missing something near. Maybe it is a runner or a walker and they are right by the stop sign. One time, there was a woman on a bike who screamed as she was a afraid I might hit her.
As I reflect on my consistency in looking far left and far right I realize that I sometimes miss what is near. In some ways it is like looking far into the past and learning from it or making sure I don’t make the same mistake again. It is like looking far into the future and planning, making sure that nothing catches me off guard. As I focus on the past and future, I miss the present. I miss what is right in front of me.
How about you? Do you see what is in front of you or are you missing it?
Maybe it is a moment with a child? Maybe it is a moment with a friend? Maybe it is an opportunity to serve those near you? Maybe it is a moment that God is inviting you nearer yet you are too focused on the past or the future, to the left and to the right.
How will you look for what is nearest to you today?
**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Escape or Engage
**Sit quietly, eyes closed and in silence for one minute before reading.**
We all have our escapes. Daydreaming, self-pity, chocolate, wine, shopping, etc. We have coping mechanisms to escape our present reality. Maybe our present reality is really challenging or maybe it is boring. Maybe our present reality is not what we had hoped so we dream of another. Maybe we are afraid to face the present reality.
We all struggle with the present from time to time and we look for our escapes. Sometimes we even physically escape. Other times we distance our hearts or our minds.
Escaping is our way of dishonoring the present. It is our way of saying that the present is not worth it. Or it could be our way of saying the present is too much to face. Sometimes escapes are healthy and helpful. Yet I find myself escaping when I need to be engaging. I dishonor the gift of the present by escaping.
How about you? Do you find yourself escaping more than find yourself engaging? What do you escape to? How can choosing to be these triggers help you to recognize when your escape is healthy or not? My prayer is that you would be able to engage when God is calling you to engage the present fully.
**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**
We all have our escapes. Daydreaming, self-pity, chocolate, wine, shopping, etc. We have coping mechanisms to escape our present reality. Maybe our present reality is really challenging or maybe it is boring. Maybe our present reality is not what we had hoped so we dream of another. Maybe we are afraid to face the present reality.
We all struggle with the present from time to time and we look for our escapes. Sometimes we even physically escape. Other times we distance our hearts or our minds.
Escaping is our way of dishonoring the present. It is our way of saying that the present is not worth it. Or it could be our way of saying the present is too much to face. Sometimes escapes are healthy and helpful. Yet I find myself escaping when I need to be engaging. I dishonor the gift of the present by escaping.
How about you? Do you find yourself escaping more than find yourself engaging? What do you escape to? How can choosing to be these triggers help you to recognize when your escape is healthy or not? My prayer is that you would be able to engage when God is calling you to engage the present fully.
**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**
Friday, April 12, 2013
The Struggle to Live in the Present
**Sit quietly, eyes closed and in silence for one minute before reading.**
The struggle to live in the present is common. We look to the former days of seeming ease or long for the future that promises rest. Sometimes the present is just too difficult, too demanding and too overwhelming. We long for a different day.
In these times I turn nostalgic and wish for former days of ease and simplicity (or maybe just a different difficult). If I do not turn nostalgic I turn wishful for a future that looks different and I am sure is not as exhausting as the present.
Yet we are called to live in the present, the reality that is before us. I struggle. I struggle to hear the story that is being told now rather than the story that has been told or the story that is yet to come. The desire to escape the present reality is so strong because the present is just too hard.
Some of you know what I am talking about. You might be there now. You might have just walked through this type of season. You are not alone.
As you struggle to live in the present know that you are not alone. May the love and grace of God so overwhelm you that you cannot do anything other than live fully.
**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**
The struggle to live in the present is common. We look to the former days of seeming ease or long for the future that promises rest. Sometimes the present is just too difficult, too demanding and too overwhelming. We long for a different day.
In these times I turn nostalgic and wish for former days of ease and simplicity (or maybe just a different difficult). If I do not turn nostalgic I turn wishful for a future that looks different and I am sure is not as exhausting as the present.
Yet we are called to live in the present, the reality that is before us. I struggle. I struggle to hear the story that is being told now rather than the story that has been told or the story that is yet to come. The desire to escape the present reality is so strong because the present is just too hard.
Some of you know what I am talking about. You might be there now. You might have just walked through this type of season. You are not alone.
As you struggle to live in the present know that you are not alone. May the love and grace of God so overwhelm you that you cannot do anything other than live fully.
**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**
Monday, November 12, 2012
Enjoying the Present through Slowing
**Before you begin reading, sit
down, breathe normally and be quiet for 1 minute.**
Slowing and the Present. Today, like very few other days of the year, I really want to live in the present. It is my daughter’s first birthday. I want to live this day FULLY. I do not want to miss anything and if I packed out my schedule with things then I totally would.
Slowing naturally leads us to live more fully in the present. When we’re running around in a frenzy we are constantly looking for the next task that needs to be completed, the next to-do. We completely miss the present. What a way to live life!
I don’t know about you, but I struggle to live in the present. I truly have to discipline myself to slow down and a result of that slowly is living in and enjoying the present. I am not forcing myself to live in the present, I simply slow things down and enjoying the present comes naturally. My life has less anxieties and worries about the future and a by-product is enjoying the present.
Sure there was her party to plan and there is college to plan for, but slowing and getting rid of the unnecessary frees me to savor the present, savor those around me and savor God as He meets me in today.
**Sit quietly again for as much time as is available to you.**
Slowing and the Present. Today, like very few other days of the year, I really want to live in the present. It is my daughter’s first birthday. I want to live this day FULLY. I do not want to miss anything and if I packed out my schedule with things then I totally would.
Slowing naturally leads us to live more fully in the present. When we’re running around in a frenzy we are constantly looking for the next task that needs to be completed, the next to-do. We completely miss the present. What a way to live life!
I don’t know about you, but I struggle to live in the present. I truly have to discipline myself to slow down and a result of that slowly is living in and enjoying the present. I am not forcing myself to live in the present, I simply slow things down and enjoying the present comes naturally. My life has less anxieties and worries about the future and a by-product is enjoying the present.
Sure there was her party to plan and there is college to plan for, but slowing and getting rid of the unnecessary frees me to savor the present, savor those around me and savor God as He meets me in today.
**Sit quietly again for as much time as is available to you.**
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Live "Here"
**Before you begin reading, sit
down, breathe normally and be quiet for 1 minute.**
I love daydreaming, imagining, making up the future. I love visioning, goal setting and planning. I spend a lot of mental energy in the future playing out the unknown, imagining and dreaming, solving problems, raising anxieties. I play out these imaginary scenarios yet these scenarios often do not come to existence. Life almost never plays out in my head like I think it will. Everything is different and there are choices that I would have never thought of. I spend a lot of mental energy “there” rather than “here”. In a sense I am living “there” rather than “here”. All that mental energy was spent in a future than never came about rather than a present that is real.
Dreaming, planning, wisdom are all good things yet we do not live “there”, we live “here”. When we spend more time living “there” rather than “here” we miss people, words, moments and we miss God. When we spend more time living “there” rather than “here” we also raise anxieties, worries and issues that do not exist and may not ever.
Where do you spend your mental energy? Do you live “here” or do you live “there”? If “there”, what can you do to live more “here”?
I love daydreaming, imagining, making up the future. I love visioning, goal setting and planning. I spend a lot of mental energy in the future playing out the unknown, imagining and dreaming, solving problems, raising anxieties. I play out these imaginary scenarios yet these scenarios often do not come to existence. Life almost never plays out in my head like I think it will. Everything is different and there are choices that I would have never thought of. I spend a lot of mental energy “there” rather than “here”. In a sense I am living “there” rather than “here”. All that mental energy was spent in a future than never came about rather than a present that is real.
Dreaming, planning, wisdom are all good things yet we do not live “there”, we live “here”. When we spend more time living “there” rather than “here” we miss people, words, moments and we miss God. When we spend more time living “there” rather than “here” we also raise anxieties, worries and issues that do not exist and may not ever.
Where do you spend your mental energy? Do you live “here” or do you live “there”? If “there”, what can you do to live more “here”?
**Sit quietly again for as much time as is available to you.**
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