What is Your True North?

Psalm 67:2 - That Your way may be known upon earth, Your saving power (Your deliverances and Your salvation) among all nations. 

Psalm 68:3 - But let the [uncompromisingly] righteous be glad; let them be in high spirits and glory before God, yes, let them [jubilantly] rejoice!

I sit here this morning with a great realization of how much I do not know! After spending the last four days with family and celebrating the life of Tyler's grandfather, I am beginning this week with a lot of things I've learned. As we sat in the funeral on Saturday, I marveled at how great this man was. I marveled at all the many things this man quietly did for the Kingdom of God. The lives he helped, served & invested in. The ministries he impacted because of his generosity and love for the Lord. The obedience he displayed in following the calling that God had specifically on his life. I still sit and marvel.

As I reflect on the simplicity of this great man, I realize how much I do not yet know and the qualities I still have yet to possess. I reflect on the areas God has to mold me, twist and turn, change and recreate, but all the while realizing that it still begins with me. Me. It begins with my willingness to SEE myself. It begins with my willingness to be open to the areas that I need to change. It begins with ME being willing to open my heart, and as difficult as it may be, open myself up to rebuke, to facing the ugly areas in my life that I have been hardened to.

Why? Because the #1 purpose of myself and each believer should be Psalm 67:2. That HIS way may be known upon the earth. That HIS saving power, HIS deliverances and HIS salvation my be known among the nations! How easy it can be to lose sight of the greater importance in life. It is not about the houses, the cars, the money, the trips, the clothes, the jewelry, the purses, the experiences. I learned from a man who was indeed blessed with all of those things, BUT I learned where his heart remained all of these years. I learned that his #1 focus was allowing the saving power of Jesus to be the greatest legacy he left on earth. Through the increase he received, he did not lose sight of his calling. He did not lose sight of blessing the Kingdom of God. He lived out HIS PURPOSE on this earth. With humility, he lived out his calling.

Praise God that we have something to jubilantly rejoice in! Psalm 68:3. We can be in high spirits and glory before God. We can JUBILANTLY rejoice! Why? Why can we be jubilant? Because the end of the story says that WE WIN! The end of the story says that we, believers, win! We will be walking on streets of gold with the King of Kings! We will enter through pearly gates and glory for eternity with our Savior, Jesus Christ.

What about you? Do you have any areas that need to be refocused? Like me, do you have any areas in your life that need to be tweaked? Has "true north" moved off course just a few degrees? I challenge you to take a few minutes to check your true north. Check your direction.

#199 - "Lord, What Should I Focus On?"

Good morning! :) Excited about a fun day! But let's go ahead and get into the Word... I'm hungry and I think "Mungo" will be getting up soon! (Yes... "the boy" has so many Nick Names! Here's the progression of his most recent nick-name.....Tyler Junior  > Junior > Junior Asparagus (Veggie Tales) > Asparagus > Asparamungo > Amungo > Mungo. ) Anyways... he had lots of Nick-Names... my favorite of which, I haven't ever really called him.... Teej. I think that's cute. His cousins in Indiana call him that. I think it's cute and unique, but so far, it doesn't automatically roll off my tongue. So here it is, Mungo! *shaking head* I'm sure that WON'T stick, in Jesus Name! (Can I get an AMEN!)

Ok... let's go...

Proverbs 31:20 - She opens her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her filled hands to the needy [whether in body, mind, or spirit].

This morning began an interesting Quiet Time. I never know what quite to expect when I go into my time with the Lord, EXCEPT, I always expect to get something. I recently mentioned a quote that I've heard a lot, "There is no problem that sustained thought can not answer." This morning as I started off my Quiet Time, the Holy Spirit clarified that quote from a Christians perspective. He said, "There is no question that sustained SEEKING will not answer. Seeking is a combination of prayer AND listening."

Lately, my mind has been racing through all the things I "think" I should be thinking about. Have you ever done that? Your mind is on overload because you think you should really be thinking about a lot of things. So many things vying for you attention and time, your thoughts & your mind? You feel at times that your mind is spinning just to try to figure out "WHAT LORD should I focus on?!" Often, if you are anything like me in the past, I didn't ever slow down enough to ask the question, or sit long enough to listen to the answer. Can you relate? So.... on you go, your mind spinning, physically your just grasping at whatever the next project is, not really knowing if it's what you should be working on, but just working on it for the sake of "completing something" that seems worthwhile.

This morning after the Holy Spirit clarified this "definition" for me, I listed out all of the MAIN things that have been competing for a mental position in my mind. I listed out 15 things. As I completed my "immediate" list, I looked it over, read each item and to myself wondered how in the world would all of this get answered or completed?

Here is how the conversation continued...

"Let me start you off with the RIGHT question to ask me.... Everything you listed is important to you. Not everything is important to focus on now. The question to ask me is: 'Where should I focus my thoughts & time?' Some things I have in the works and will inevitably work themselves out. I am working on them. Isn't that better than YOU trying to do it? And some, I'll answer as you need the answers, not all at once." 

"Ok," I thought. That made sense. But I still wondered in my head after looking over the list, "What will I focus on?" Nothing from my list was really jumping out at me. The conversation continued...

"As you looked through the list of things, you're right, NONE are what I want your attention on. You didn't even have listed what I want you to focus on. This is it: Give. I want you to focus on giving..... I want you to give to others. I specifically have people I want you to give to. (1)________ (ear) (2) ________ (prayer) (3) ________ (time).

Interesting. As I went back and re-read Proverbs 31, I noticed areas that SHE is giving too.... and wouldn't you know it, the Holy Spirit directed me to do the same! She reaches out her filled hands to the needy, whether in body (in the physical / time), mind (a listening ear), or spirit (prayer). I just found it so interesting how the Holy Spirit gave me THREE, VERY SPECIFIC people, and gave me THREE, VERY SPECIFIC areas He wanted me to give to them. Very specific, and each different.

What was most important to the Holy Spirit had not even made it to my list! Isn't that funny. Here's a question.... what does your list look like? Those things vying for your time.... what do they look like? AND, if you asked the Holy Spirit what you should be focused on, would HIS answer have made your list? I was honestly a bit surprised that His answer was not on my list. All the things on my list seem very important.... but just not what my focus SHOULD be. Isn't it interesting thought... the things on my list were very focused on completing tasks that I was INTERNALLY focused on. HIS one item of importance was focused EXTERNALLY, giving of myself to someone else. Pouring into others instead of pouring into myself.

Food for thought. Might be an interesting question for you to ask today.  Lord, what should I focus on? 

_________________

Here's a few recent and cute pictures of Tyler Junior and his little friend Zoe. :) So cute!

  

#177 - Complete Focus!

Good afternoon! :) We've had an eventful morning with one of Tyler Juniors little friends being over for awhile. They are like two peas in a pod! So funny to watch play together, tackle each other &... well... the occasional "toy snatching" has been a re-occurring theme. Nap time is officially upon us so the house is nice & quiet!

Let's jump into some Word today:

Proverbs 4:25-26 - Let your eyes look right on [with fixed purpose], and let your gaze be straight before you. Consider well the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established and ordered aright.

Proverbs 31:16, 24, - She considers a new field before she buys it...  she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard.... She makes fine linen garments and leads others to buy them... 

The power of focus. As I think about our Proverbs 31 friend, I can't help to think about the many accomplishments that follow her. In today's time, if she had a "Bio Sheet" it would surely be a long list of success', business' she owns, and lives she has impacted. Listing off just a few of the areas that she proactively worked in, I can only imagine that to accomplish all she accomplished took a skill of discipline & focus. In the few verses:

• She CONSIDERS purchasing a new field.... so she weighs her options. Like Proverbs 4:26, she CONSIDERED the path of her feet before she took that path. She was most likely well informed about the property, educated about the sales process, knew the amount of money she was willing to spend, & well prayed up. 
• She BUYS the field. With her business skills and savvy, with money she has earned most likely in other successful endeavors, SHE decides the investment is a good one and takes the plunge. 
• She PLANTS the field. Let the work begin, and the income to follow. This woman is an entrepreneur. 
• She MAKES garments. She has something she believes in, something that she believes will be a benefit, help and serve other people, and she makes a FINE product. Her skills as a seamstress, her creativity, her pursuit for excellence shine through with yet another endeavor of success. 
• She SELLS garments. She saw a need & filled it. Now, her fine quality product that she has made is being sold, marketed & bought. People see the use & benefits of what she has produced & she sells it! Like any business person, I'm SURE she has made a profit with her talent of sewing & with her idea of this helpful piece of clothing. She is PROSPERING! 

This is only covering TWO verses of this Proverbs 31 woman! But, with the power of focus, she is able to be productive AND fruitful in her endeavors! It took focus for her to find success. It took diligence & consistency to succeed. 

Success takes focus. Like Proverbs 4 discusses, success requires a fixed gaze ahead, a fixed gaze on the destination. What is YOUR destination? Are you working on one area to accomplish success? Do you have a few areas that you are working on? Reading Proverbs 31, you get the feeling that her life is full, that she is succeeding in all areas. I would anticipate when she was sewing, her COMPLETE focus was there. When she was planting a field, her complete focus was there. What are YOU working towards? PLAN it. Put it in your calendar. Add CONSISTENCY, and when you work at it, give it your COMPLETE FOCUS. That includes your rest time. When it's time to rest, allow your complete focus to just rest!

Now, put your mind to where you want to succeed & apply COMPLETE FOCUS!

#170 - Endure because YOU WIN!

Good morning! We're going to jump RIGHT in this morning. Such great WORD & revelations! Praise God that HE is not a dead God! That He is ALIVE and still speaks to us through His Word, that He reveals things to us, uncovers what seemed like mysteries. Praise God that we have the opportunity as HIS Children to enter into a relationship that can be growing and growing, that we can gain insight and wisdom EVERY SINGLE TIME we are in His presence! Praise GOD! I'm extremely grateful!

We're jumping off the reading schedule to some Spirit led scripture. Let's go...

Hebrews 12:1-3 -  ... let us throw aside every unnecessary weight... which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, Looking away from all that will distract to Jesus, Who is the Leader ...  He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (3)Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds.

We are called to ONLY run the appointed course that is BEFORE US! We don't have to think of the section of the course for next week or next year, just the portion of the course that is before us NOW! Just run our race TODAY!!!! Stay FOCUSED ahead.... like a runner, we are not looking down at our feet nor are we looking around just aimlessly taking in all the scenery, we are staying FOCUSED on who is ahead of us, the LEADER who IS paving the way.

Jesus endured the cross, WHY? For the JOY of obtaining the prize. He knew that the PRIZE was greater than what He would currently have to endure. The PRIZE was greater than the pain. Right here, right in this point is where many people quit, they loose heart, they faint. BUT, when we keep our eyes focused on our Leader, and we keep the Joy of the prize in mind, we run with the "end in sight" KNOWING that we have ALREADY won.... WE TOO can ENDURE in the race!

Now wait... it gets better! I've always stopped at verses 1 & 2. I've read those, and then stopped. But, WOW, verse 3 is UH-MAZING! So... it says basically.... "Look, take a look at Jesus, think about it.... He endured the cross, the torment, the pain, the mockery, the hostility, people sneering and snickering at Him.... just think about it, CONSIDER all HE went through to the CURRENT trial you may be going through..." OK.... let's take a pause right there. I ALMOST had to LOL at this point. Consider MY trials in comparison to what HE endured on the cross?! Now if that is not a JOKE, I don't know what is! My trials hold NO water, no ground to what He endured on the cross and leading up to it. But... let's continue. So WHY did he endure and go through all of that? Let's finish verse 3, "so that YOU may not grow weary or exhausted! So that YOU may not loose heart, relax and grow faint in your mind! He endured it not ONLY for your salvation, so that you could live in heaven when you pass, but He also endured it so that the CURRENT section of your race could be run without you being exhausted. Without you growing weary. Without you growing tired! Without you toiling in your MIND! He endured the cross for MUCH more than just mere salvation! Salvation is just the stepping off point!!

Why can you have Unwavering Confidence? Because CHRIST endured so that YOU & I could have VICTORY! Sweat-less VICTORIES! Why can you have JOY in the endurance? Because you know the end of the story! Whatever you are going through, IF you will only ENDURE, be patient, and CONTINUE on this section of your course, YOU TOO WILL BE VICTORIOUS! It says in Phil. 1:6, that HE will carry out what He has began in YOU to completion! Have you started something and not yet had victory in it? BE PATIENT! ENDURE! CONTINUE in your race! And.... if you are a bit brave, you can EVEN enjoy it!! It says that JESUS endured so that you could run your race without getting weary, without losing heart, without getting faint, without getting exhausted. YOU CAN HAVE SWEAT-LESS victories if you will ONLY continue on your course!

**** Pre-requisite **** - IF you do not FINISH the course, you will not see the victory that you have been waiting for! The key is, KEEP your EYES FOCUSED on your Leader! Like running a cross-country race, or track. Keep your EYES on the back of the One that you are following, Jesus! Keep your eyes on Him and RUN right through into the finish line of this section of your race! WIN this section! The race is on-going! It continues! We won't be finished until heaven, so on earth we will be in this constant race..... but I encourage you, when you have the end in mind (ie: YOU WIN) you can have JOY in today's endurance! You know the end of the movie! You know the end of the story! You know that YOU will be the one, standing on the stage, holding the trophy to prove that YOU HAVE ENDURED! YOU HAVE WON!

James 1:12 - Blessed is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive THE VICTOR'S CROWN!!!

Amen & Amen!
That was good stuff! It ministered to me! Praise the Lord!