Girlfriends!!!
Warm hearted greetings! I have been ill this week and am trying to get back on my feet...have missed our coffee room chats! Pull up a chair and read with me a most inspiring and challenging thought from the book of Acts.
When defending himself to the Governor before his accusers, Paul made quite a statement. In Act 24, he begins by saying he is very happy to speak for himself and, in verse 16, he says, "And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men." Wow!
I read that and had to ask myself, do I practice this..."to always have my conscience void of offense...?" No, I'm afraid I do not. There are times that I am shamefully aware that I have either caused or am carrying some offense around, in my conscience, toward God or man. I know I've said something that needs to be repented of or I have done something that hurt someone, even if at times it is only God who is having to bear my offense. The remedy for this is summed up in one simple word and one from which we shy away; humility. If I can only humble myself, at the beginning and end of each day, and ask God to shine the searchlight of his all knowing and all loving eye into my heart, he will be faithful to reveal to me any offense that resides in my heart...or in the heart of someone else, as it relates to my choices. Ideally, we will begin to ask God as we walk through our day, particularly when facing a difficult situation, to keep us from offense. Sometimes it isn't that I have initiated conflict or caused the initial rift but could it be in my reaction? The Bible says that, as a Christian, I am an ambassador for Christ, and, therefore, a representative who has a higher calling than an eye for an eye mentality...
Let's pray for an open and humble heart that desires to always be without offense, either on our part or in causing it in someone else's heart. Most often, offense comes by our tongue, as we are told in the book of James, but we know it isn't really about taming our tongue, but rather asking God to change our hearts. If God shows us an offense, let's pray for grace to humble ourselves, quickly, and remove it from our conscience. Peace is the sweet reward! And....it doesn't depend on the response of the other party (unless it's God :-)and he is ready and willing to forgive! We can do what we know is right and leave the results with him. The Bible instructs as, "As much as it lies within YOU, live at peace with all men."
Have a wonderful weekend and if you are facing overwhelming circumstances in your life, right now, ask the Lord to keep you extra close to him and to give you grace that you can keep a conscience void of offense. I know I need more awareness and humility in my heart!
Still Climbing,
Cher
Thursday
Living your Life on Purpose!
Psalm 139
1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
17How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Grab some coffee and sit with me for a few minutes. Come and soak up this great truth, revealed to us by your loving Father!? He has a plan and a specific purpose for your days...so if you are feeling overwhelmed and under-purposed, take heart!
There will always be those times when we feel life is just happening to us but we must not let this be a pattern in our lives! It can become a lifelong regret if we aren't diligent to guard against busyness without purposeful direction! It takes a conscientious awareness - a knowing where we are going, to lean in to our purpose.
If you haven't ever truly considered for what purpose you were created, or if it's a time of change in direction, it's a worthwhile exercise in getting your life on a targeted path and living in that most satisfying place! I promise, no matter who you are, YOU were created with an intent and purpose that only you can fulfill!
I've observed a sad reality for many people in that they live an entire lifetime just manuevering around whatever comes at them and that includes settling for relationships that aren't healthy and don't add value to their lives! Don't let that be you! Of course we are all guilty, at times, of letting life's busyness and the neediness of those closest to us, consume our focus and energy, and there are seasons when that IS our purpose, as we raise children, care for an elderly parent, etc. But when we are not living, responding and directing our daily thoughts and activities according to our discovered or revealed purpose, we can look up one day and find ourselves in deep remorse for the lost opportunity to live our lives on purpose. Wherever you are in life, commit to re-focus and move ahead with expectation!
I want to chat a little bit about how we can get on the purpose page and begin writing the story of the rest of our dash (the one between our birth and our death) in a way that accomplishes what we were designed to do and let's do that right now!
This will be brief, rather than comprehensive, but will get you started. Ask yourself this question? Who am I and how am I wired? What are my God-given gifts and talents (if you are not sure, ask those who know you best) and what do I really love to do? What makes me feel like my life is valid, meaningful and valuable to others? You are unique and created with purpose. Take the time to sit down and ask those questions and ask God to join you! He will begin to reveal his plan for you, likely only one step at a time. He's like that, you know? He wants us to trust and rely on him, to walk and converse with him...and he knows us! If he gave it all to us at once, we might not come back! It's all about relationship! :-D
Today, sit in a quiet place and take some notes, as thoughts come to you, in answer to the questions above. Be prayerful as you walk through it. OH! And take it from one who knows, don't overthink it all. It should flow naturally and freely. If it becomes too cumbersome, remember to simply do a brain dump of your own thinking and open your heart, mind and spirit to God's light and direction!
I believe in you and am praying for you.
Still Climbing,
Cher
1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
17How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Grab some coffee and sit with me for a few minutes. Come and soak up this great truth, revealed to us by your loving Father!? He has a plan and a specific purpose for your days...so if you are feeling overwhelmed and under-purposed, take heart!
There will always be those times when we feel life is just happening to us but we must not let this be a pattern in our lives! It can become a lifelong regret if we aren't diligent to guard against busyness without purposeful direction! It takes a conscientious awareness - a knowing where we are going, to lean in to our purpose.
If you haven't ever truly considered for what purpose you were created, or if it's a time of change in direction, it's a worthwhile exercise in getting your life on a targeted path and living in that most satisfying place! I promise, no matter who you are, YOU were created with an intent and purpose that only you can fulfill!
I've observed a sad reality for many people in that they live an entire lifetime just manuevering around whatever comes at them and that includes settling for relationships that aren't healthy and don't add value to their lives! Don't let that be you! Of course we are all guilty, at times, of letting life's busyness and the neediness of those closest to us, consume our focus and energy, and there are seasons when that IS our purpose, as we raise children, care for an elderly parent, etc. But when we are not living, responding and directing our daily thoughts and activities according to our discovered or revealed purpose, we can look up one day and find ourselves in deep remorse for the lost opportunity to live our lives on purpose. Wherever you are in life, commit to re-focus and move ahead with expectation!
I want to chat a little bit about how we can get on the purpose page and begin writing the story of the rest of our dash (the one between our birth and our death) in a way that accomplishes what we were designed to do and let's do that right now!
This will be brief, rather than comprehensive, but will get you started. Ask yourself this question? Who am I and how am I wired? What are my God-given gifts and talents (if you are not sure, ask those who know you best) and what do I really love to do? What makes me feel like my life is valid, meaningful and valuable to others? You are unique and created with purpose. Take the time to sit down and ask those questions and ask God to join you! He will begin to reveal his plan for you, likely only one step at a time. He's like that, you know? He wants us to trust and rely on him, to walk and converse with him...and he knows us! If he gave it all to us at once, we might not come back! It's all about relationship! :-D
Today, sit in a quiet place and take some notes, as thoughts come to you, in answer to the questions above. Be prayerful as you walk through it. OH! And take it from one who knows, don't overthink it all. It should flow naturally and freely. If it becomes too cumbersome, remember to simply do a brain dump of your own thinking and open your heart, mind and spirit to God's light and direction!
I believe in you and am praying for you.
Still Climbing,
Cher
Wednesday
Excellence
Girlfriends!! Happy Monday! Never say "O no, it's Monday!" When you take that approach, you invite a less than excellent day and lose 24 hours from your week! Monday ROCKS! :)
Excellence = Distinction. It denotes doing, going and being above average. I don't know about you but I don't like words like normal, average, typical...I believe God gives to each of us special talents, gifts, and abilities so that we will utilize them in an excellent way. Don't confuse excellence with perfection, which only brings disappointment and frustration. As leading fitness expert Tony Horton says, "Do your best and forget the rest!"
Whatever our hands find to do, today, let's do it with excellence. Go the second mile. Do more than is expected...and as we journey along, let's take along a small bag with a great can-do-think-the-best-of-others attitude, a willingness to give up some personal comfort and time to encourage someone else and a prayer on our lips to recognize the opportunities we encounter to affect the world around us in word and deed!
May God be honored as we seek to practice excellence in his name, today.
Still Climbing,
Cher
Excellence = Distinction. It denotes doing, going and being above average. I don't know about you but I don't like words like normal, average, typical...I believe God gives to each of us special talents, gifts, and abilities so that we will utilize them in an excellent way. Don't confuse excellence with perfection, which only brings disappointment and frustration. As leading fitness expert Tony Horton says, "Do your best and forget the rest!"
Whatever our hands find to do, today, let's do it with excellence. Go the second mile. Do more than is expected...and as we journey along, let's take along a small bag with a great can-do-think-the-best-of-others attitude, a willingness to give up some personal comfort and time to encourage someone else and a prayer on our lips to recognize the opportunities we encounter to affect the world around us in word and deed!
May God be honored as we seek to practice excellence in his name, today.
Still Climbing,
Cher
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