Category Archives: purpose
Returning to me.
Wow. It has been almost two weeks since my last post. This year has been an odd one and I reluctantly admit that I have put writing on the back burner. Eh, maybe I’ve put it somewhere in that lost toaster oven hiding in the depths of my yet unpacked basement.
Okay, let’s be a little more honest. It has been an odd couple of years.
When life tosses unexpected turns, people typically respond in one of two ways. They either radiate or they internalize.
Last year when we endured our real estate adventures, the move, school changes, and my mom’s health problems, I radiated. I wrote lots, I talked lots, I learned lots and shared all of those lots with all of you. What I experienced and what it produced in me poured freely.
This season, however, has found me quiet, if not still. I’ve not shared much. Much has happened, but instead of radiating, I’ve kind of locked up. Rather than spouting my thoughts and often mediocre epiphanies, I’ve drowned myself in other writings. In other people’s thoughts. In other creative pursuits. The funny thing is that I haven’t missed writing.
Well, not too much.
While I’m not quite to the point of overflowing, I am filling. Many things have been percolating behind my relatively quiet facade. It won’t be long before I leave my introspective patterns and return to … me.
Recently I shared with a friend that two paths lie before me: I have my Zaties stuff and then I have my writing stuff. In uncharacteristic apathy, I confessed to this friend that I could go full throttle in either direction and be fine. That’s when she reminded me that apathy does not suit me.
“Anyone can make purses,” she said. “But you have a rare gift, and I’d hate to see you throw it away.”
I don’t know that I have a rare gift, but Frannie was right. Apathy is unbecoming, especially on those who belong to the King. And if that King has given me a gift, rare or not, it is my duty and honor to use it fully.
I don’t really want to make purses forever. It’s fun and who doesn’t love making money doing something they enjoy? But it’s not why I’m here. It’s just easier than the alternative.
I would love to be a speaker, a Bible teacher, an encourager of women. I feel God working most through me when I fill those roles. That’s when I’m the me I was created to be. Pursuing that, though, can be quite terrifying.
So, I’m praying. I would appreciate your prayers, too. I don’t want to waste this life by choosing a holding pattern, especially if my only reason for choosing that is fear of choosing better. At the same time, I don’t want to jump in over my head, something I’ve been known to do.
Wisdom. As always I beg for wisdom.
One step at a time.
First step: return to writing. Not just freelance assignments or editing jobs here and there, but real, substantive writing in the direction He leads.
Second step: refuse to quit.
Your Turn: Are you in a season of radiating or internalizing? What gifts might you have percolating that you fear pursuing?
Do’s and Don’ts of Deciphering the Will of God
DO remember that God is far more concerned with our character than our addresses or job titles. His purposes for you are likely to focus more on who you are to be rather than what you are to do.
DO investigate what the Bible says about the topic. If God’s Word offers clear direction, follow it!
DON’T test God with a “fleecing” when He has already made His Will known in Scripture. If He has already made it clear, asking for a miraculous confirmation is not only delayed obedience, it is doubt and disobedience. His will for you will never contradict Scripture.
DO seek wise counsel from trusted, mature believers. Talking to your closest friends is great, but if they’re still “baby” Christians, they may lack the wisdom to help you see God’s plans for you.
DON’T seek advice only from people you know will agree with you. This isn’t guidance, but flattery.
DO pray about it. Lots. And LISTEN to what God may say to you.
DON’T believe that the mere act of praying about something justifies whatever action you want to take. “Oh, I prayed about it, so it must be what God wants.” This type of thinking is very, very dangerous. If praying about something instantly guarantees the right decision, then, in theory, we can easily pray about everything and never make wrong decisions. That belief alleviates us of personal responsibility and gives a get-out-of-jail-free card to every bad choice. It’s immature. It’s bad doctrine.
DO think. We should pray AND think! Sometimes God expects us to do crazy things that defy human logic (as in Gideon’s case). Often, though, the wisdom He gives is compatible with logic. Look around you. Do you have other believers confirming your direction? Or are they all wondering what in the world you’re doing? Does the course of action you are considering align with other common threads in your life or does it take a u-turn from where God has already led you? Pros and cons lists can be very helpful. God does give us wisdom; wisdom frequently involves logic. Use the wisdom He gives by thinking through your situation and your options carefully.
DO SOMETHING. A lack of specific, audible instruction from God does not warrant a lack of action. Yes, we should wait upon the Lord, but you can still do something while you wait.
Scripture to Discover:
The entire book of Ephesians is a great place to start learning about the will of God. As I tried to pinpoint specific passages that would speak on this topic, I found that I couldn’t prune down the list to a few simple verses. So I strongly encourage you to read the whole book. Specifically, take note of Ephesians 4:22–24 and 5:6–17.
Also, take a moment to look up 1 Thessalonians 4:3 and Romans 12:2.
More Resources
- 10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe by Larry Osbourne: Multnomah Books, 2009.
- God’s Guidance: Finding His Will for Your Life by Elisabeth Elliot: Revel, 2006 (2nd ed.).
How to be Outstanding
“Dear brothers and sisters, be firm. Do not be moved! Always be outstanding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
… to the extent that God has blessed you.
… because a door of great opportunity stands wide open for me, but there are many opponents.
Stay alert, stand firm in the faith show courage, be strong. Everything you do should be done in love.”
Last week I finished reading 1 Corinthians. The quotes above come from 15:58, 16:2, 9, 13-14, all quoted in the NET.
Before I go any further, please understand that I’ve not quoted the verses in their entirety, not even entirely in context. (Click here to read the full chapters.) In order to fully study and understand Scripture, we MUST read it in context, both literary and cultural.
Sometimes, though, God seems to highlight sections of Scripture. He makes them brighter for individuals for specific reasons. The parts I quoted above are the portions that jumped off the page at me last week.
Zach’s care (since his accident) has completely consumed me. I’m not complaining. Please understand that. But I have been overwhelmed, overwhelmed to the point that I sometimes just go through the motions knowing that I have so much to do and I don’t keep moving I won’t get it all done. Believing — or perhaps fearing — that if I take time to process our situation or my feelings about it or the toll it is taking on us, I’ll miss something. The balls I’ve so carefully arranged into moving suspension will tumble to the ground. Read the rest of this entry
Little rocks can make a big difference.
There is a story of a college professor, an empty jar and a lot of rocks. After placing an empty jar in full view of his class, he began to add large rocks, one by one. When his collection reached the top, he asked the class if the jar was full. They affirmed that it was.
He then supplied a bunch of little rocks and began adding them to the “full” jar. Again he asked “Is the jar full now?” Yes, of course it was.
Then he presented a bag of sand and water and proceeded to fill the “full” jar even more.
If he had put the sand in first, neither the little rocks nor the big rocks would have fit. If he had filled the jar with water first, he would have created a mess by trying to add anything else. The point being that you need to start with the big rocks first. Focus on what is most important before filling your life with little rocks or sand.
This is a good illustration when deciding where focus should be, but sometimes the little rocks can make a big difference, too. Think of a pebble in your shoe. It’s hard to ignore. Sometimes taking care of those little things first can make it easier to wrap your head — and your energies — around those bigger rocks.
My winter coat has been missing a middle button for months. I know where the button is and it will likely take less than two minutes to sew it back on, but it seems like such a little thing, I don’t bother. But I must say it bothers me every time I wear that coat. I carefully position my scarf so that no one will notice the missing button. I mean, if I can’t even fix a button then how can anyone expect me to properly care for my family? Or my clients? Or … I mentally bludgeon myself over that still-waiting-to-be-done item on my list. It reminds me of my failures, of all the things yet to be done. Of all the ways in which I am not living up to expectations, be they mine or others’.
What would happen if I just crossed that item off my list?
Yes, “big rocks” should be prioritized highly, but sometimes we can get so overwhelmed by the big rocks on our to-do lists that we rarely make progress. I don’t want to be the third servant.
In Matthew 25 the Bible recounts some parables of Jesus. One of them is about a master who goes away on a journey, entrusting his wealth to three servants. The first two invest their talents thereby increasing their master’s worth. The third is fearful, lazy, reluctant. Instead of risking the loss of his master’s coin, he buries the money and clings to safety.
When the master returns, he punishes the third. The first two, however, are commended. “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!” (v. 21, 23, NLT)
Yes, I want to focus on the important tasks, the things I prioritize as greatest, but I don’t want to be paralyzed by the size of those tasks. I want to be faithful in whatever tasks I’ve been given, be they small or large rocks. And I know that the more faithful I am with the little things, the more prepared I will be to receive great things.
Read with Me: Sometimes it feels like our Bible reading is a mere matter of checking off boxes. How can these “little rocks” prepare us for bigger ones? On the flipside, how does prioritizing time with God as a “big rock” impact your life? What little rocks may prevent you from spending more time with God?
The ME Project (and a giveaway!)
Deluxe Starbucks Coffee Gift Basket
- Three 2.5-oz. bags of Starbucks coffee
(Sumatra, House Blend, and French Roast) - Tazo black tea
- Starbucks marshmallow cocoa
- Almond roca
- Almond roca buttercrunch toffee cookies
- White chocolate and raspberry cookies
- 2 Starbucks mugs
- Keepsake black bamboo basket
Have I got your attention? This coveted basket is grand prize for the book launch of Kathi Lipp’s The Me Project. You may know Kathi from The Husband Project or The Marriage Project. While both of those titles focused on relationships, this one focuses on personal accomplishment. Here’s the question: are you living the life you’ve always wanted? If not, why not? And don’t say you just need more coffee.
Earlier this week I lamented how daily demands and mundane responsibilities hijack my greater ambitions. Maybe you feel the same way. We all struggle with how to balance who we are as wife, mother, sister, and individual. We feel pulled in many directions and, unfortunately, the things that are most often neglected are the pieces that offer us the greatest fulfillment. But if God gave us those desires, those talents, those dreams, shouldn’t we prioritize them, too? How might our lives look different if we took a few minutes a day to put our dreams on “project status?”
This book offers a 21-day challenge toward that end. Through fun, creative, daily steps, the author encourages readers to:
- discover (or rediscover) the unique plan God has for you
- bring purpose back into your life
- change your attitudes toward your roles in life and how you approach your goals
- gain confidence to accomplish your dreams in the midst of an already busy schedule
- connect with like-minded women to make goals a priority
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
ISBN-10: 0736929665, ISBN-13: 978-0736929660
Release Date: February 1, 2011
Paperback: 224 pages, Retail: $12.99
Sound too easy? It really kind of is! The author has graciously given us a sneak peak to show you just how “doable” these action steps are.
Three Super-Simple Kick Starts to Living Your Dreams
– in the next 15 minutes
by Kathi Lipp
Is there a dream that God has given you, but you are waiting until the kids are grown and you have money in the bank before you get started?
You may not be able to enroll in a month long pastry making class or take a week off of work to get started on your novel, but today you can take three little baby steps to making your dream a day-to-day reality.
1. Go Public with It
It’s a little scary to tell the world what you want to do when you grow up—but this is one little step could get you closer to living your dream than almost any other. Plus—it takes very little time and you don’t have to raid your kid’s college fund to make it happen.
When you gather up all your courage and tell your best friend, “I want to learn how to paint,” suddenly she remembers an old art book she has laying around she would love to give you, or her friend from church who teaches art classes. The people you know and love want to be a resource. Give them the privilege of being a part of making your dream happen.
2. Join an Online Group
This is one of the simplest—and cheapest—ways to start exploring your passion. Find out who else is talking about restoring antiques and listen to their conversation. Start by Googling your interest along with the term “online groups.” You will be amazed with the number of people who want to talk about the proper way to care for 1950’s lunchboxes as much as you do.
3. Don’t be Afraid to Pray
I remember the first time I put an offer in on a house—I wanted it more than I had wanted almost anything else in my life. While I knew that I had dozens of other people praying on my behalf, I was too scared to pray.
I didn’t want God to tell me no. I was afraid to pray until my co-worker Kim asked me (in a loving, kind way), why I didn’t believe that God wanted His best for me. Don’t be afraid to pray—as with anything amazing in my life, the path is never what I expected, but it has always been obvious that God’s hand has been on it the whole way.
Kathi Lipp is a busy conference and retreat speaker, currently speaking each year to thousands of women throughout the United States. She is the author of The Husband Project and The Marriage Project, serves as food writer for Nickelodeon, and has had articles published in several magazines, including Today’s Christian Woman and Discipleship Journal. Kathi and her husband, Roger, live in California and are the parents of four teenagers and young adults. For more information visit her website: www.kathilipp.com
Did I forget about the giveaway? Never! To enter, simply leave a comment on this blog. I want to know about your dreams. What is it the purpose you feel God has for your life and how are you pursuing it? One name will be randomly chosen for the giveaway; the winner will be announced on Kathi’s website on March 7th.
Battling Agendas: Opportunity or Distraction?
John Piper said:
“The world sets the agenda for the professional man; God sets the agenda of the spiritual man.”
I’ve been thinking on this much lately. “Lately” meaning for over a year.
One of my goals – Have you noticed that people only talk about resolutions in January? I like the term “goals” better. Resolutions provide too much guilt when you miss the mark, but goals seem to encourage lasting growth. Or maybe my choice of semantics simply reflects (and justifies) anticipated failure. Oh, that could be a whole blog post of pontifications, don’t you think?
Aside from attempting to stop interrupting myself with random tangents and other frequent exhibitions of ADD tendencies, one of my goals for 2011 is to be more intentional. (How’s that for a perfectly vague aspiration?) To be more specific, one aspect of this is to focus more on my writing by pursuing additional avenues of publication.
As a side note (Doesn’t “side note” sound better than “tangent?” It’s almost intentional, right?) — As a side note, whenever I set this goal, my blogging frequency drops off. I started blogging as an intentional practice for my writing, but four-plus years later, the practice has morphed into a form of procrastination. The two, while intended to be cooperative, seem to possess an inverse relationship. The more I blog, the less I write. The more I write, the less I blog.
But my goal extends beyond the realm of writing. I want to be intentional with my projects, yet, but also with my time, my energy, what I teach my kids and how I interact with others. Basically, I want to think more about what I’m doing and why. I want to be focused. The problem is that I’m not sure precisely where that focus needs to be.
Too often I fall into the easy rut of seeking a lifelong mission, a purpose toward which all my daily dealings point. However, (and I’ve blogged about this before) I believe the Christian life is more about daily living and less about grandiose plans. I believe knowing God is the objective of life and the daily doings are the means by which we achieve that objective. I believe those daily doings can add up to a grandiose plan, but I believe the orchestration of that plan is God’s responsibility, not ours. Our responsibilities lie solely on the small, seemingly mundane, one-day-at-a-time acts of obedience.
I fear that when I seek to fulfill the grandiose plan on my own, I lose all proper focus. Roles are transposed. Instead of feeding God’s glory and accepting His sovereign role in the universe, I feed my personal pride and inflated sense of worth. I take matters into my own hands rather than trusting Him fully. When striving to produce my “big picture,” I too often follow the world’s agenda.
As should be expected, the more I seek focus, the more distractions come my way. Orders are stacking high for my book purse business, I’ve received surprising opportunities to write and have even gained new editing projects. Are these distractions or opportunities? Is it God’s divine direction or is it the world trying to keep me from following His agenda?
Here are a few tips toward knowing the difference. If you face similar uncertainties, ask yourself these questions.
Does it glorify God? This is the most important question. If it dishonors Him, if it goes against Scripture, you need to stop immediately and run in the opposite direction. Remember Joseph’s famous flee? Do likewise!
On the flip-side, this doesn’t mean that every hobby, every word, every action must blatantly point to God, but rather that whatever you do, you do it with an attitude that honors Him. See 1 Corinthians 10:31.
Does it utilize your gifts? God has given us all talents and gifts, both spiritual and physical. We need to use them! I’m not a fan of tests and classifications of gifts. I feel those lead to over-analysis. God is passionate and natural, and He made us in His image. I firmly believe that God not only gives us gifts, but He also gives us a passion to use those gifts. Is there something you really love to do? Something that comes naturally to you? Chances are your gift lies somewhere near that.
Does it show love to others? The entire Bible is saturated with the importance of love. We must love God first and love our neighbors second. 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that no matter how great our gifts may be, if we do not possess love, our gifts are useless. Not just useless, but annoying.
Does it pull you away from previous commitments? Remember the guy who started building a tower and then ran out of money? (Luke 14) Everyone laughed at him, called him a fool. You know what else? I bet no one ever hired him to build another tower. God is eternally faithful, dependable. If we aspire to be like Him, we must try our best to reflect those characteristics. If you said you’re going to do something, do it. Complete the job before moving on to something new.
Your turn! How do you decide if something is an opportunity or a distraction?
Silenced by Introspection
Can’t writing be like every other job? It should be independent of emotion and motivation, something that I simply do because that’s what I do. William Faulkner would write only when inspired. He said “Fortunately I am inspired at 9 o’clock every morning.” That’s the way it’s supposed to be – right? Methodical. Predictable. Disciplined. Then why am I so terribly uninspired?
“Uninspired” may be too strong a word. I have lots of ideas and two fists full of partially completed projects. The problem is my lack of confidence. I feel far from sure-footed and therefore perfectly unqualified to write about any of it.
Even my blog has been silenced by introspection.
When I started writing four years ago, this little spot of the web had a purpose. It was evident in every post. Now it feels more like a collection of random thoughts. I’m not saying random is bad … simply that I wonder why I do it. Perhaps the purpose was less in content and more in practice. Maybe it was less about what I said and more about the mere act of writing and sharing. I don’t know.
That capsizing message from two weeks ago persistently nags me. Tim Kizziar said “Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” The truth of his words seep into my being and beg the question: what am I doing that truly matters?
Before y’all call with morale-boosting encouragement or pre-set appointments with your favorite counselors — RELAX. I’m good! 
But these are things we should ponder. And lately my pondering has caused a touch of paralysis … or at least temporary muteness.
Even a fool is consider wise when he holds his tongue.
I’ve been reading Crazy Love. Consider this an introduction to the eruption of potential blog posts this book has caused.
Prayer Siesta
Why is it so hard to pray?
There are so many things weighing heavily on my heart this week, things I know need prayer. Sick friends, unbelieving family members, marriages — upcoming ones, sustaining ones, breaking ones. (Is anyone else out there grief-stricken over Jon & Kate? I could barely stomach the season premiere this week.) Our nation needs prayer: our politicians, our diplomats, our soldiers, our culture. As the school year comes to a close I want to pray for our kids, our teachers, our summers. So many things! And yet I find it extremely difficult to pray longer than two consecutive sentences.
Maybe praying isn’t the difficult part. Maybe my trouble is the stopping part.
Photo courtesy dreamstime.com
I’ve written about the ineffectiveness of multi-tasking before. It makes us forgetful (because we’re trying to remember too many things at once), distracted (because we’re trying to do too much at once), and ugly in our people skills (because we’re more focused on productivity than relationships). I ascribe to all these things! I know they’re true. I preach them. Yet I have difficulty stopping.
I pray while in the shower, claiming it’s the only place I’m uninterrupted by family needs, but even then I interrupt myself with to-do lists, grocery lists and random thoughts about blogging. I try to blog, but get distracted by thoughts about writing, gardening and what I should wear to swim lessons later this morning. I try to play with my kids but bring my Kindle in case they get bored with me or I get bored with Duck, Duck, Goose and the repetitive swing-pushing. While making dinner, I clean the kitchen, run another load of laundry, catch up with friends on the phone and help the kids finish a puzzle. No wonder my meals are never perfect and my prayer life is dehydrated!
The other day Kellie posted a rest challenge. She calls it S.IESTA!: Stop. Intentionally Establishing Stillness Takes Action. Her purpose is to, over the summer, routinely rest for a set period of time each day, to stop whatever she and her kids are doing and take a break. Now, I don’t have trouble resting. I read all. the. time. I watch tv with my hunky spouse every night, and I play with the kids every afternoon. Rest comes easily to me. Prayer, however, requires a stop. I want to be more intentional with my prayer life. Yes, I pray regularly now, but how much better could it be if I were more purposeful? How much more of what God is doing could I witness if I scheduled time to just talk with Him each day? I don’t mean reading His Word. Anything that involves reading I do with a voracious appetite. But praying. Can I stop — really STOP — each day to pray?
What about you? What can you be more intentional about this summer?
Wanna join my team?
Once again I woke up early to write, but promptly allowed myself to get distracted by other things. Stupid thing. Time-wasting things. I don’t have time to waste! In precisely four minutes little feet will sound their pitter-patter down the steps and this fantasy of being a writer will fade like the morning fog. My real life will take over. I won’t be Tanya Dennis, respected author and theological thinker. Nope. I’ll be Mama, slave to children, laundry and home.
So, what did I accomplish this morning? Let’s see … I went to the bathroom. I wrote and rewrote one sentence of a query several times. I checked my email, both accounts. I changed my facebook status and got sucked into that abyss of the cyberworld. Now, thirty-seven precious minutes later, I can hardly remember the brilliance of this query? What was it about? What were those perfect sentence I drafted while lying awake in bed? Those pearls strung beautifully in line are now scattered across the floor of my mind.
Remind me: why do I keep the internet on my computer?
Better yet: why am I so utterly undisciplined? So easily distracted?
I’m revisiting a book I started last year: Time to Write. Humor me while I tell you a snowball story.
Within the past three months I’ve been struck (hard) by the rate at which children grow. I’m always known and often repeated the mantra of “the days are long, but the years are short.” I’ve worked diligently to never wish away my days. I’ve been very intentional about relishing every moment I have with my children, yet somehow I feel like I’m not witnessing enough. I’m not involved enough. I’m not teaching enough. I’m not experiencing this moment of my life (yes, five years is just a moment) with them to its full extent. This revelation has been painfully tangible to me recently as I watched my daughter turn five, as I realized in just seven short months both our kids will be in school, and my life will be vastly different than it is now.
Upon this realization, I decided to put my writing on hold. Other than my blog I haven’t done anything. I haven’t offered any submissions. I haven’t written any query letters, chapters, outlines or ideas. I haven’t even done any editing! Nothing. This sounds like a wonderful, sacrificial commitment. I’m putting my kids and my family first – right? Right. Except that it’s not working. None of my projects or project ideas have agreed to stay on the shelf. They bombard me with better sentence structure, a clearer illustrative story, a more attention-grabbing first line or a marketing idea.
When I first started writing, I met several authors who claimed “writing is like breathing; you just can’t stop.” Since I reluctantly (kicking and screaming) followed this call, I didn’t understand what they meant. Being a former artist, I understood the use-it-or-lose-it truth, but not the compulsive addiction part. Now I get it. I’m trying to stop! I’m trying to sacrifice all for my family, but I’m finding that sacrificing all simply creates a zombie. I’m going through the motions with my mind a thousand miles (or a thousand words) away.
So. I desperately want to focus on my family and I don’t want to be a zombie, so I think I need to schedule some regular writing time in order to get it out of my system so I can be mentally present during what should be quality time. (How’s that for a run-on sentence?) Enter Time to Write. It (at least the parts I’ve read)suggests just this: scheduling writing time into your life instead of waiting for your life to just give you uninterrupted, limitless reign with just you and your laptop. But, again, what good is scheduled time if I spend it all skipping through facebook or other flower-filled meadows of the internet?
I need discipline and, after 32 years of living with me, I know I can’t do it alone. I don’t want to call this a thorn in my side, but it is definitely a life-long struggle. I want to be disciplined and organized, but it just does not come naturally to me. I want to be efficient and productive with my time, but my easy-going, hippy-loving brain would rather just do what I feel the moment needs to be fulfilled. I want the respect of an adult, but I don’t want to grow up to get it. I’m still waiting for my life to begin. But I’m tired of waiting. I’m tired of floating. I want to be intentional, purposeful, focused … but without losing my spontaneity or appreciation for moments that can’t be recaptured.
What is the point of this post? Pray for me. This season for me is one of physical rest but internal struggle. We don’t have a ton of activity going on in our lives, but I’m fighting mental battles, spiritual struggles, past demons I thought were buried. I would love to have some prayer warriors on my side.
If you’re willing, please comment or email me with your commitment to pray regularly — once a week, once a month, once a day, whatever! I’ll take it! Pray for my family for spiritual growth, for protection, for vision and direction. Pray for my writing that I would be disciplined and wise with my time and that God would use me to accomplish His will. I have no idea where this will lead. Maybe he has books in my future or maybe just articles. Maybe just this blog or local studies. I don’t know, but I don’t want to miss the boat. He is working and I want to be ready when He needs me. I want to be where He is doing what He wants me to do. So what do you think? Can you join a prayer team?
The Work Assigned Me
A stomach bug has been making its rounds through the area. It visited our house on Thursday. And Friday. And Saturday and Sunday. Today, I think (but don’t want to proclaim this too loudly), it’s through. Today we’re dealing with the residual weariness of having a sick house. Because of this, I’m not going to write much today. Rather I’ll just share a verse with you.
“My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus — the work of telling others the Good news about the wonderful grace of God.”
Acts 20:24 (NLT)
I don’t read the New Living Translation much. In fact, I usually stick to my New American Standard Bible. It’s what we used in college and it’s what I’m used to. But sometimes a different translation, an alternate word choice, can magnify a verse with significance. Lynn Mosher posted this verse in this version on twitter a couple weeks ago. It struck me. I’ve read it a hundred times or more and yet this time it called out to me in a different way. I grabbed one of my notecards (you know those 3 x 5″ things designed for making speeches), wrote it out and taped it my kitchen cabinet. It’s been there ever since. When I’m on the phone or waiting for the next step of meal prep, I pull it down and retrace every word.
What is the work the Lord Jesus has assigned you? Are you using your life to finish it?
