Faith & New Beginnings

Guess what?!? I have a new job! Yep. I am now going to be the director of online marketing for a different division at my current company.

This means that I get to continue working at the company I love while taking on new challenges and new opportunities — including delving into social spaces for the division. Cool, huh? I think so.

I’ve been seeking a new challenge and a bit of change for awhile now, and am blessed to have found exactly that.

Hmmm…seems as if my recurring theme, faith, is already playing a key part in the first half of 2011, right? Imagine that.

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

~Jeremiah 29:11 (New Living Translation)

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The Heart Knows the Way

I have this lovely inspirational stand-up book on my desk, which was a gift from my dear friend, Ann. Each day I can’t wait to turn over the next page to see what wisdom I’ll find among the pages.

The other day the page staring (or maybe “glaring” is more accurate) back at me read:

Follow your heart. It knows the way.

I suppose one could read this many ways. As a love-struck teenager, I may have taken this to mean I should follow my heart more than my head in choosing my beau. As a young mother, I may have read it as following my instincts instead of the advice of others when caring for my newborn son.

Now, however, I view it as following my heart when it comes to my career, my focus on my family and how I want to serve on a daily basis. And I wonder: What happens when your heart is telling you one thing and the circumstances of your life don’t easily allow for you to follow it? How do you reconcile the two?

And I think it comes down to this: Faith.

Ah, there’s that word again. As you may remember, faith is my “one word” for 2011. My focus.

…I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. ~Matthew 17:20 NIV

How do you reconcile what God is calling you to do with the obstacles life seems to throw in your path? I’d love to hear your advice and what’s worked for you. Drop me a comment below.

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A Recurring Theme

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Have you ever thought someone was trying to tell you something? You know, those times when you seem to encounter the same theme over and over everywhere you turn?

That’s what’s been happening to me lately. I ignored it at first, but it’s clear God is trying to get my attention. And he must have known that it would take a two-by-four to the head to get it through my thick skull. 😉

Here’s the recurring theme:

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

~Jeremiah 29:11 (New Living Translation)

I’ve run into this sentiment around every corner lately. It’s been prevalent on Twitter from all of you lovely folks I follow there. I’ve bumped into this verse in my new venture into Blessings Unlimited. In fact, it’s my Director’s email address. I’ve come across it in blog posts from many of you – whether it be those of you whose blogs I’ve read for months now or from brand new blogs I stumbled across. It just keeps cropping up everywhere I turn.

So what does it all mean?

So…what am I to take from that? Am I to assume that I’m not putting enough faith in God to know what’s best for me? Am I trying to control my life instead of turning its course over to God? Maybe. Probably.

I’m impatient. I want things to happen when I want things to happen. And it’s entirely possible that He’s trying to tell me to let it go. To give it to Him to handle. To trust in Him. To have faith. To follow Him fully.

The One Word

I keep reading all of your one-word posts for 2011 and thinking, “How could I ever come up with just one word to describe my goal, my intent for 2011? Evidently, it’s been staring me in the face this whole time.

Faith.

I thank all of you for sharing your one-word focus for this year, and now I need to start better defining mine. The one thing I know now is that my life and my course for the year is in God’s hands. I need to trust in him to steer me down the path he’s designed for me. I need to have faith that his plans for me are for good, that they will give me hope.

Now it’s your turn. What is your one-word for 2011? What will you focus on this year? Drop me a comment below, and let’s share our common grounds.

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Inspired Christmas Gifts – All for Less Than $12!

Enjoy! Ceramic Serving Platter from Blessings Unlimited®

Hi, all. I just found out that Blessings Unlimited^® is featuring several amazing Christmas specials – while supplies last – all for under $12! You could save between 50% and 81% on 15 products, including this Enjoy! ceramic serving platter pictured here on sale for only $9 – originally $35. Wow!

****Click on this link to view all the specials now.****

If you’re interested in ordering any of these amazing specials or learning more, drop me an email. (You do remember, I’m now a Blessings Unlimited consultant, right?)

Enjoy these Christmas specials carrying inspirational messages. After all, isn’t that the true meaning of Christmas? 😉

Want to see all the products in the Fall Catalog? http://www.blessingsdirect.com/catalog/BlessCatalog.htmlClick here.

Oh, and by the way, now’s the perfect time to find out how you too can become a Blessings Unlimited consultant. I’d love to have you part of my team. Talk about Common Grounds! 😉

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Sweet to the Soul & Healing to the Bones

Image by: jonnysek

Wow. Are you wondering what could be sweet to the soul and healing to the bones?

Words.

But not just any words. Pleasant words.

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. ~Proverbs 16:24 (NIV)

Think about that.

I read a post on (in)courage by Jessica Turner where she was talking about the power of words – and tone. She referenced this verse, and it gave me pause. As a writer, I’m all about the words. I love the way they flow on a page, the cadence and rhythm of a sentence or phrase and how they can cause a reader to get completely wrapped up in them.

But sometimes I forget how they can be used to hurt, to wound, to repel. And sometimes I’m too often reminded. And sometimes I forget how one’s tone can change everything.

How often are your words a honeycomb for others? Do they offer healing to the bones of those around you and sweeten the soul? Something to think about.

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Is someone trying to tell you something?

Do you  ever feel like someone’s trying to tell you something? Maybe it’s in subtle signs that seem to pop up everywhere you turn. It could be a friend’s sage advice, a comment made on the radio or a Sunday sermon.

Sometimes the message may be a bit more pointed. A challenging situation that causes you to re-evaluate the course of your life, a health scare or loss of a loved one that makes you truly identify what’s important in your life, or even a chance encounter with a stranger or long-lost friend that brings with it unexpected opportunities.

For me it seems that situations like this come at a time of change in my life or at a time when I’m faced with a serious decision. And lately, I feel as though I’ve been bombarded with a consistent message: That I need to trust in God to light my path and remember I’m not in this life for me, but to glorify him.

Easier Said Than Done

Right. I don’t know about for you, but for me, that’s harder to do than it should be. I’ve never been one to want others to “fix” my problems for me, tackle the obstacles piling up in my path or fight my battles for me. And, yet, that’s exactly what God calls us to do.

He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe. ~Proverbs 28:26

He calls us to let go, and trust in him.

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. ~ Psalm 37:5-6

Do you ever think someone’s trying to tell you something? How are you hearing from God? I’d love to hear from you. Share your thoughts below so we can find our common grounds.

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Straightening Your Path

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight. ~Proverbs 3:5-6

Does your path need straightening? I didn’t think mine did, but lately I’ve been bombarded with similar messages everywhere I turn.

A special guest radio DJ on my normal channel.

An unexpected “prayer Sunday” at a different church we attended this weekend.

Today’s daily devotional.

Hmmm…maybe God’s trying to tell me something. Maybe I should be paying attention.

What suffering and persecution and pain and difficulties do is not so much make us weak, as show us we are weak. Without them, we can deceive ourselves into believing we’re prizefighters. With them, we’re reminded that we’re not constructed to function on our own power.

~Jan Dravecky, Women’s Devotional Bible, Zondervan

Bills. Health issues. Relationship troubles. A fight with a friend. A savage rumor. A church dispute. Who do you turn to when faced with the troubles and difficulties life throws your way? Your spouse? A friend? Yourself? What about God?

What do you think? Does your path need straightening?

Drop me a comment below and let me know your thoughts so we can continue to find our common grounds.

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There’s Just Something About That Name

It’s time for Musical Monday again. Click on the play button below. See what ya think. 😉

There’s Just Something About That Name

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.

There’s just something about that name.

Master, Savior, Jesus.

Let all heaven and earth proclaim.

Kings and kingdoms shall all pass away.

But there’s something about that name.

I first heard this song by Bill and Gloria Gaither when I was just a little girl. For me, songs are a haven. And this is a song I can turn to when I’m feeling a bit down to be refreshed, to gain a sense of peace, of calm, of harmony. It reminds me that nothing lasts except God. All our daily trials and tribulations pass away, yet He remains.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” ~Philippians 4:13

What songs do you turn to when you’re feeling down to restore your own sense of peace, calm and harmony? Drop me a comment below.

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How Does Your Faith Connect to Your Happiness?

What makes you happy? Really happy?

If I asked you to describe pure happiness, what would it look like? Lots of money? No need to work? The perfect job? A home full of family? Six kids? An adoring spouse? An ocean-side home? Mountain living?

The possibilities are endless, aren’t they? But, where does your faith enter in? Or does it?

Today’s Faith JAM over at Faith Barista asks the question: How does faith connect to your happiness?

The Bible says, “Happy is the one who seeks and embraces true wisdom and understanding.” ~Proverbs 3:13

I couldn’t agree more. By nature, I’m a happy person. It takes a lot to bring me down, and I attribute that to my faith. I talked about this a bit in our first Faith JAM.

We recently had this organizational exercise where we had to narrow down our core values to five. Here are mine: Faith, hope, wisdom, happiness and humor. Notice that faith and hope are right up front, and that springs from my belief in God, as does wisdom. This is key for me. I believe that in all things we must be wise – even if that means being unpopular for our decisions. And through faith, hope and wisdom comes happiness. Happiness in my family, in my friends and in myself. Last, but certainly not least, is humor. I can cope with anything through humor.

Christian Courier author Wayne Jackson talks about faith and happiness like this:

In his book, Mere Christianity, British philosopher C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) observed that it is a futile exercise to seek happiness apart from God. Man has been “designed” to find his purpose, indeed his happiness, only in his Creator. In fact, Lewis insists, “God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing” (54). We were made to glorify God (Isaiah 43:7), and apart from that thrilling enterprise, there is no real contentment in human existence.

This is something I’ve been thinking about for awhile now. I’ve felt called to do more with my faith. To find better ways to incorporate it into my daily activities. This is exactly why I’m now sharing the Blessings Unlimited line. And I have to tell you, that the joy I feel when talking with people about faith-inspired products is amazing.

How does faith connect to happiness?

It’s intertwined. It’s integral to achieving true happiness. It enables us to walk through the rain, knowing God will help us emerge triumphant.

Now it’s your turn. How does faith connect to your happiness? Drop me a comment below, and let’s share our common grounds.

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Forgiveness isn’t the issue…

Have you ever felt betrayed? Hurt? Sad? Disappointed?

Maybe you expected more.

Maybe you expected respect. Trust. Security.

Sometimes, we hold on to this feeling of betrayal even when forgiveness has been granted. Maybe even time and again.

So, if forgiveness isn’t the issue, what is?

How do we let go of that feeling of being betrayed? Or disparaged? Or deceived?

What if we look at how Jesus responded to the ultimate betrayal? Maybe we can find strength in his words, his actions, his faith.

²⁰When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. ²¹And while they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”

²²They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely not I, Lord?”

²³Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. ²⁴The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

²⁵Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?”

Jesus answered, “Yes, it is you.”

~Matthew 26:20-25

Jesus knew that one of the 12 closest men to him would betray him. He knew it ahead of time. And yet, he didn’t lash out that night. He didn’t get mad. He stated it as an obvious fact that was meant to be. How did he do that? He relied on his faith that His Father had a plan.

Can we do the same?

Can we trust that the Lord has a plan? That this spot of rain in an otherwise sunny section of life is part of that plan? That we’ll come out on the other side better people? Stronger people?

Of course we can. We have to, don’t we?

How do you deal with betrayal? What’s worked for you? Drop your comment for Thought-Providing Tuesday below.

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