Trust

The online dictionary defines the word 'trust' as "reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something" and also "one in which confidence is placed."

So often it is easy to trust in things and persons that we have been able to count on in the past.

I count on my chair to not fall over when I sit on it.

I trust my mailman to faithfully deliver my letter each & everyday (99% of the time!)

I trust my husband to do his best to keep his word.

Trust becomes a bit more difficult when you are placing it in someone you cannot see...say, like God.

People say "I am trusting in God to get me through this", or perhaps "I am trusting God to bring good out of this situation."

I am actually one of those people who has learned through experience that we can actually trust God for the two above mentioned examples...but sometimes...sometimes that trust doesn't come as easily.

Over the last few months I've faced a number of personal & trying circumstances. Nothing that would blow my life out of the water. Just a few 'behind the scenes' type difficulties that a few close friends & family would know about. The kind that 99.9% of us have going on in any given season.

Today I was having some quiet time (my nickname for reading the bible and praying) and I began to read about a man of great faith: Abraham. He is actually called the 'father of our faith' for those who believe.

Abraham, for those who are not familiar with his bio, was an elderly man when he finally received his promised son from the Lord. Make that a VERY elderly man!

 But God is able to do what He pleases, and so Isaac came on the scene. Isaac's name actually means "to smile". God must surely have seen Abraham smile after Isaac was born.

Romans 4: 3 "..Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."

For some reason this really resonated with me. It wasn't Abraham's goodness that caused God to say it was accounted to him for righteousness, but actually his BELIEF in the promise of God. In other words, I would say that Abraham TRUSTED God. 

I felt challenged today to ask myself: in these situations I'm facing, am I truly trusting Him? Or just making some sort of religious lip service and really trusting in some other method of relief?

My question to you today is--> are you facing a difficulty that God is asking you to simply trust Him in? Are you facing a situation where you are overwhelmed? 

Then simply "trust". 

Gaining a Long-Term Perspective

"Be careful to make a good improvement of precious time."~David Brainerd

   How often do we find ourselves caught up in a web of consequences that have negatively impacted our lives, simply because we did not make our prior decisions from a long-term perspective? 

In today's fast and furious day 'n' age we find ourselves often hustling & bustling about...and all too often making decisions in a split second....unfortunately without giving much thought to any future ramifications.

Let me give you some common examples of real-life short-term thinking . Most of them we've probably witnessed, or even made the mistake for ourselves:

-debt and overspending

-unhealthy eating or living habits

-living for excessive pleasure

-living selfishly 

-taking a 'microwave' approach to our child-raising 

-not making our marriage a priority

-cutting off a friendship without first trying to work out personal grievances

-cutting corners in our work places

-allowing our schedules to get filled with fruitless time wasters

The list could really go on and on...

I am not perfect in this area, but I can clearly recall how I used to live before I became a Christian...I lived selfishly, for the moment, carelessly, and never once thought that what I did back then would matter in the future!

Little did I know.

Years later and I am still growing & learning in this area. However, I can contend that I now take much more time to make a decision, in particular when I need to make any MAJOR life decision. 

In any major life decision, I have found by experience that it such a good use of my time to look for trusted counsel. From my favourite source of wisdom: the Bible, and also from close friends & mentors that I know will be quick to point out any 'blind spots' I may be overlooking.

"Oh, how precious is time, and how it pains me to see it slide away, while I do so little to any good purpose."~David Brainerd

Time is so limited. Even if we were to live to be a hundred years old, it wouldn't really be that long in the light of eternity. The Bible actually calls the length of our lives simply a 'vapor'. 

Many of us busy parents know this. Many of us busy working Mamas also know this. A day, a week, a month...all just seems to pass in the blink of an eye.

So, how can we really be sure that we are rightly investing our time?

Ephesians 5:15-16~
"Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."

Seeking & applying wisdom. 

Asking from trusted counsel.

Keeping a long-term perspective!! 

***Note--> David Brainerd was an American missionary,who lived an exceptionally fruitful life,  even though he only lived to the age of 29. Read more about him at this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Brainerd

Pushing Through!

For those of you that regularly read my blog you may have noticed something: I've barely posted anything in the last couple of months...

And I've had good reasons for this: I'm pregnant & have been sick, I am nearing the end of our school year & busily administering tests/assignments, I have been taking on new responsibilities related to my business, and I have just felt plain ole' tired (see reason number one!)

But I must admit I miss my blog buddies, and the fun blog atmosphere on here :)

So here I am ready to share my next entry, and it is a thought that has been playing around in my head over & over the last while....and it is this~ now is the time to PUSH THROUGH to get to where we need to go in life!

"You may delay, but time will not.” – Benjamin Franklin

What does it look like to 'push through' to move forward in an area of life?

The picture I always get in my head when I think of pushing through is of a bulldog. 

A bulldog is well-known for his tenacious bite. For his ability to bite onto something.and.not.let.go.

He just simply does NOT give up no matter what!!!

Now, I have a couple of questions to ask you:

Is that how you are with your personal goals?

Is that how you are with your personal walk with God?

Is that how you are in your marriage, your friendships, your employment, etc.?

Are there areas in your life where you know that you allowed your dreams & visions to fizzle out?

If would say that there ARE areas where you know that you have let go: of a dream, a vision, a goal, and that you really shouldn't have let go of them....then maybe it's time to re-ignite the fire and let it consume everything that would try to stop it!

How do we re-ignite a fire?

I have found three steps of actions that have aided me whenever I have got off track somehow:

1) I schedule some time alone so that I can re-collect my thoughts, re-evaluate where I'm at and take some time to seek the Lord for specific direction.

2) I write out some tangible steps of actions related to the specific area, and then I begin to apply them starting asap.

3) I often find that the fire has been allowed to burn out because of some distraction or perceived obstacle. If this is the case then I need to cut out that particular activity, or interfering relationship that would hinder me from getting to where the Lord has called me to go. (Examples--> unhealthy friendships may need to be cut out; distracting activities can be so many things, but may include media-related ones & hobbies that are too consuming of time)

I believe that now is the time where we need to stir ourselves up, and then I believe that the Lord will provide the grace for us to get where we need to go. 

He will enable us to PRESS THROUGH our personal obstacles to where we need to go!

***In the comments section below please feel free to share your thoughts. I love to hear from you :)