Don't be surprised

Every day is an exercise in trust;
trust in God and His plans for you and me.

It is so easy to decide what we want
and take steps to make it happen,
praying for Him to bless it as we go.
More often than not, the outcome
isn't what we thought it would be.

We can't say "God is in control,
but I have a plan." and be surprised
when things don't work out as expected.

Often life throws us curve balls
that send us scrambling, thinking,
wondering, and re-planning the future
without even taking a moment to
let God step in and show us what
He wants to happen in the situation.

Resting in His presence, without
trying to plan, fix, and do, brings
His peace and reassurance, calming us
and giving us a chance to take in the
bigger picture that we were missing before.

  
When unsure of our next step,
our best, most solid choice is to believe
He holds us in the palm of His hand
and sees us as more valuable than
the birds of the sky and flowers of the field.

Believe that His plans for you are good
and will ultimately work out better than your own.

 

We can make our own plans,
but the Lord gives the right answer.

People may be pure in their own eyes,
but the Lord examines their motives. 

Commit your actions to the Lord,
and your plans will succeed.
-Proverbs 16:1-3 NLT

  

If God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and 

thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. 

Why do you have so little faith?
~Matthew 6:30

So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God 

than a whole flock of sparrows.
~Matthew 10:31   

Don't laugh

My calves have identical bruises. 

Their death grip
on the bike's speakers
kept me from flying
off of the motorcycle
I'd hopped on the back of
one evening this weekend.

Thankfully I wasn't injured later,
when I fell on my butt
and managed to almost
knock the bike over while
trying to get off of it
without first asking how.

It's weird that I would do something like that, because usually I'm so graceful.

Stop laughing ... I can be graceful.

Years ago I told my oldest that I wanted a motorcycle. She said no. She pointed out that I could barely drive a car safely and that makes a motorcycle a really dumb idea for a mom of four. She won that round. But at least I finally got to ride one this weekend for the first time since I was a kid.

So much is going on these days. I'm excited and exhausted at the same time. I definitely don't have the energy to write anything real at the moment.

I just had to check in.
When I don't write,
I know some of you worry.
Okay, maybe not.

One more thing...
It wasn't a joke.
Stop laughing.

I really can be graceful.

:-P

What's your dream?

Have you ever had God whisper
a question into your heart that
He wants you to ask someone else?

It just happened to me.

Interviewing a possible employee,
impressed by her initiative,
her excitement,
and her research skills,
I was at a loss about
what to tell her or ask her next.

"What's your dream?"

It slipped out before I had a chance to think about it.

Almost explaining the question to myself
as I was saying the words to her,
"Nobody wants to work for me
for the rest of their lives.
What do you really want to do?
What's your dream?"

I had a hard time holding back tears,
I don't know if she noticed or not,
when she said, "I want to be a BioMedical Engineer."

From our short interview  I knew
already, a few of her labels
that would make some say, "Impossible."

Again, words of explanation
to her, but surprisingly for myself,
"I need to know what the dreams
of my employees are so that
I can support them
in whatever way possible."

Contemplating after she left,
I thought about an employee of mine
who is struggling to climb an iceburg
of which I can only see the very tip.
Yesterday I didn't know if she still had a job,
today I want to ask her, "What's your dream?"


If I'm honest, it's about more than her dream.
If I'm truthful, it's about more than helping others.

The combination of overwhelmed excitement
I am feeling is a revelation of my own
about my purpose in this place and time,
and all the possibilities He has coming.

"What's your dream?" is a stepping stone to
"Why have we been put in each other's lives?"
"What does God want from me?"
 and even, "Is this part of my purpose here and now?"

What's my dream? To change some lives,
rock some worlds, solidify some foundations.
And every time I get a glimpse
of how God might be letting me do so,
I can't help but feel overwhelmed with blessings.
and awed by His divine plans and amazing grace.

They are an iceberg of which I've only seen the tip.

 

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, 

to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Ephesians 3:20