#238 - A Billboard Kind of Vision

Proverbs 19:21 - Many plans are in a man's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand.

Proverbs 16:9 - A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.

Habakkuk 2:2-3 - And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by. ³For the vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end [fulfillment]; it will not deceive or disappoint. Though it tarry, wait [earnestly] for it, because it will surely come; it will not be behindhand on its appointed day. 

Proverbs 31:16 - 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. 

Do you have billboard kind of vision? What's your vision like? Have you driven by a billboard and ever thought, "Did they really expect me to 'get that?'"  There are so many words that as you rush by at 60 miles an hour, you may get a few of the biggest words, but that's it. Then, there are others that you drive by and they just jump out at you! It may be accompanied by a picture that draws you in to it's purpose. It may be something that tugs at your heart and you can't help but want to support the cause.

Billboard kind of vision. It starts off with having a plan. We have to have a plan. In both Proverbs 19 & 16, it talks about the MAN'S mind. It talks about the MAN having a plan. The MAN has taken time to come up with a plan. It takes time, thought, energy & FAITH to determine a plan. Then our faith shows even more when we begin to ACT on the plan. It's exciting to know that we can bounce our plan, our idea of the one who created us. HE will direct our steps. HE will direct our idea. In the end, it will HIS purpose will stand. I know a man who was given the idea to write a book. He was given the idea, the title, even what the cover was suppose to look like. After much time of not writing the book, he opened up a magazine one day and SAW that very book that he was suppose to write. It was IN PRINT! Someone else had written the book that the Holy Spirit had given him to write. The Lords purpose was for the book to come out, and the book came out.

Write the vision plainly. Do you have a Billboard kind of vision? Can you read & understand it easily & quickly when you pass by it? Do you have a sign up stating your vision? Have you written it down? Does it read, "I'm going to watch what I eat & exercise and will weigh 125 pounds by June 1st, 2012." Or is it big and bold, "125 BY JUNE 1!!!" Is your vision PLAIN & EASY to read as you pass by?

A business associate of mine told me a quote that he had heard over the weekend. It went something like this. "Below average people don't have any goals. Average people have too many goals that they can't accomplish them all. Those above average have only a few goals that they are laser focused in achieving." Which one are you? Do you have so many goals that you can't even sift through them to know what they all are? Are there things getting in the way of your goals? Like the Proverbs 31 woman, she has expanded prudently. First things first. She studies and thinks about, will taking on this "project" prohibit me from accomplishing what I need to accomplish?

It starts with a plan.

Take your plan, in prayer, run it by the Holy Spirit.

Create a VISION that is only a few words! Write it. Post it. Say it. Know it. 


Act. Act. Act. Act. - GO and make your vision a reality!

 

#142 - Still on Track?

Happy Wednesday! :) Wouldn't it be interesting if we woke up like every day was a Holiday. If we woke up with excitement each day, kind of like we do on Christmas or our birthday. Yesterday I did that with Tyler Jr. It was kind of fun! I said, "HAPPY TUESDAY!! It's a special day! It's going to be such a great day! God has made it! HAPPY TUESDAY!" It was actually fun. It made me smile just saying it. So.... to you, I say, HAPPY WEDNESDAY! It's a really great day!!! It's a really special day! God has made it and you are here! It's an extremely special day. We are in route, on a journey to be all we are called to be. To reach our ultimate destination, heaven! So many things to do along the way. But PRAISE GOD we can enjoy the journey. :)


Let's go...

Proverbs 16:1,9 - THE PLANS of the mind and orderly thinking belong to man, but from the Lord comes the [wise] answer of the tongue. (9) A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.

So, I recently did this very thing. I, Amy, made a plan. I looked at the areas of my life that I wanted to grow in. Areas that I wanted to move forward in. Goals for my life. Fitness, Spiritual & Mental Growth, Family, Our Business & finances, Writing. I sat down and fully "bulleted" out these areas and wrote what MY PLAN was in order to grow in these areas. I established a plan. What did I do next? I brought MY PLAN before the Lord to gain wisdom and insight on it. "Lord... here's my plan for these areas. Is this a good plan? Is there anything you would add? Take away? Anything I should tweek?" As I sat waiting for His answer, I was able to gain clarity on My Plan. And better yet, I was able to receive a WISE ANSWER from the Lord! I have planned my way, and now can have confidence that the Lord will direct my steps in my way. 


Well... just yesterday, I was looking over my plan. I noticed several things that I was not doing. It had been a few weeks since I had looked at it. I was reminded that I needed to put My Plan up, keep it in front of me, keep it visual, so that DAILY I am able to see & review my plan and make sure I am still on the right track. 


That is my task for today. I just wanted to ask you.... have you made a plan? Do you have YOUR PLAN established? If not, do you think that it would be helpful? Maybe it is just ONE area that you want to grow in. Maybe you want to start a business. Or begin sewing. Maybe you want to improve your relationship with your spouse. Or maybe, like me, you have several areas in which you want to grow or progress forward. Not that you need several areas.... if personal growth is new to you, I'd recommend starting out with maybe ONE thing. Growing in one area. Being diligent.... and then maybe next month.... adding another area..... then the next month, adding another area. Not overwhelming yourself with trying to change everything today, but taking small steps daily to grow. 


If you have a plan, are you still on track? Do you need to revisit your plan and make sure you are not forgetting anything? I definitely noticed a few areas where I was not on track, I had forgotten about. 


So... are you still on track?

#121 - The ULTIMATE Goal for 2011

GOOD MORNING! Happy New Year! This is actually kind of a "visit" post. I'm not officially back in my normal routine, so this week will still be a bit of a holiday schedule. I just read some good stuff and couldn't help but post it! It's a great thing to read since we have just stepped into the new year. It would also be a great goal for those who maybe hadn't yet set a goal. Probably the goal, if set, will ultimately lead to all other success in life! Check it out....

Phil. 3:10, 13-14 - [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power...

    ¹³ ...forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.

What a great goal for 2011! To PROGRESSIVELY become more deeply and intimately acquainted with our Savior! TO know Him more! To set ourselves up to be able to HEAR His Voice and direction for where we are suppose to go. What we are suppose to do. To have a keen ear to hearing what HE would have us do. Tyler and I have both been really getting better and better in this area of life. Wow! It has been amazing. To really get to the point where every action you take, you are in the middle of a constant conversation with the Holy Spirit, being directed everywhere. Or bouncing ideas off the Holy Spirit as you are doing things, making the very things you are doing MORE PRODUCTIVE because they Holy Spirit tweaked your thoughts. He tweaked them and made them better. He knew exactly how you could have the conversation with a friend or business partner. He knew exactly how you should interact with your family member. 


Tyler & I are celebrating our 10 Year Anniversary on January 6th. We took a ski trip to celebrate and get away, to prepare ourselves mentally for 2011, and to enjoy each others company. AND, even better, Tyler Jr was with Grandma and grandpa. What a blessing! I sat down one afternoon and had a "counseling" session with the Holy Spirit. I was by myself. Just me, my Bible & my journal. I listed out the areas that I wanted direction on for 2011. Areas that I wanted to have specific goals in: (1) Health & Physical Fitness (2) My Relationship with the Lord (3) My Business (4) As a Writer (5) As a Wife & Mother. 


My pen was just going non-stop. The Holy Spirit laid out a game-plan for me for each area. He gave me direction. He helped me set up a plan, a daily plan in each area so that I can succeed. Daily action steps with an end goal in mind. How helpful! 


My ultimate goal still stems around the verses I read this morning. That I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him. And by doing that, it will allow me to press on toward the goal to win the prize.


Have a great day! I look forward to meeting with you again regularly! I will probably start back again officially next week!


In closing.... I have a special note to my husband! :) 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR MY SWEET HUSBAND TYLER...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!! :)  

#119 - Avoid the TRAP!

Good morning! Actually... good afternoon! We had a wonderful weekend. Celebrated Mama's 90th Birthday in Georgia, and had the Ewing Christmas party! (Tyler's mom's side of the family) It was fun. We actually stayed in a 2-bedroom hotel suite with a full kitchen. That was nice. It allowed us to be close to the parties, but also allowed Mama to do some baking! Apple pie, pumpkin pie & mashed potatoes was my contribution to the Christmas Party. They did get good reviews, so I was happy about that! Thank you Grandma for your pie crust recipe that continues to live on! Love you Grandma! 


Well... let's get started... 

Proverbs 20:25 - It is a snare to a man to utter a vow [of consecration] rashly and [not until] afterward inquire [whether he can fulfill it]. 

Proverbs 31:16 - 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. 

I think this is a very appropriate topic with New Year's around the corner. I'm sure you have been thinking about what you want to change for your 2011. How do you want to improve? Who do you want to be? What projects to you want to start & finish? Pounds that you want to shed. It's that time of year when we think about CHANGE. IMPROVEMENT. 


Well, as it says in Proverbs 20:25 & 31:16, I want to CAUTION you when deciding upon your upcoming goals or changes you want to make. Picture the YELLOW FLASHING sign that reads, CAUTION. Look at the warning in Proverbs 20:25, and look at how the Proverbs 31 woman applies this verse to her life! In Proverbs 20:25 we could read it this way, An impulsive vow is a trap (The Message Bible) or Don’t trap yourself by making a rash promise to God and only later counting the cost. (NLT) A VOW is more than a promise. It is a SOLEMN promise. It is a pledge. It is serious. 


Let me tell you a story about that. I have been taking two groups of people through a program called New Way New You. On a weekly basis I meet weekly and teach/coach each of these classes. One in person, one via conference call. The program involves proper nutrition, exercise, supplementation, weekly goal setting and changing one's mentality about themselves. It's a FULL program that encompasses everything that leads to Optimal Health. It's been a very eye opening experience for me as I have watched people who were very excited when we started and wouldn't you know it, week by week, many of them have disappeared. Sure, I know sometimes life gets in the way, other obligations come up and maybe some did not fully "commit" from the beginning. 


Personally, when I am looking to add something to my plate, the Holy Spirit and I have to have a serious talk. I don't want to add something in "vain." I don't want to add something that I cannot see through, or be committed too. I definitely do not want to do something if I am not suppose to do it because then it would definitely be TOIL! What is toil? The dictionary defines it as: to move or travel with difficulty, weariness, or pain. That is NOT my idea of a good time. When you commit to something on your OWN without the direction or approval of the Holy Spirit, it begins the series of disappointment. Let's just take a fitness goal. When you make a commitment or goal and then do not see it through, what does it do to you? It takes a hit at your self-image. And each day as you do not do that "thing", whatever it is, your self-image takes another hit. You go to bed thinking, "Oh dang it. I didn't do it again. I'm going to bed another night and I did not complete my goal. Arghhhh. I feel terrible. Dang it." Some people may have this battle in their head of thinking they are a loser. All of it could have been avoided had they not made a commitment on their OWN. By making a vow or promise that you are not suppose to make Proverbs says that you are setting a TRAP for yourself. You set the trap, and you walk into it. 


I recently had a really great opportunity. An opportunity that could have been VERY VERY profitable. As I was asking the Holy Spirit about it, I continued to have a lack of peace about moving forward. The Holy Spirit continued to tell me, "You will not have time for it. You will not have time. It is to great of an obligation to take on. I have other things for you that will be better." I continued to question him because it did sound like such a great opportunity, but peace never came. So... for now, it is something that I am passing on. 


The Proverbs 31 woman expands PRUDENTLY. She expands, yes. But, she does not expand before it is taken into careful consideration. Does she have the time to do it? Will the other obligations REALISTICALLY still be able to get done? Does she have the energy to do it? Does she have the resources? The faith? I would anticipate many things come into play when she is CONSIDERING expanding.... taking another thing on.... adding one more thing to her already full but productive plate/time. 


As you go into this New Year. CONSIDER what your promises are. Consider what goals you should set. Set yourself up for VICTORY not for FAILURE. Be realistic about your goals. If you are not working out at ALL right now, maybe you shouldn't set a goal to work out 6 days a week. Maybe your goal should be 3 days/week. That is AFTER you have asked the Holy Spirit about it. 


Avoid the trap of over-committing to the wrong things or even overcommitting to the RIGHT things, but at the wrong time! Set yourself up to win in 2011 & every year that follows!