(IN)Courage

Started by Judy Harder, January 17, 2012, 09:15:37 AM

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Judy Harder

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor,
The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end,
upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it,
and to establish it with judgment and with justice
from henceforth even for ever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Isaiah 9:6-7

:angel:
Today, I want to make a difference.
Here I am Lord, use me!

Judy Harder

The Day After Christmas: How to Live After the Miracle
Dec 24, 2013 12:20 am | Stephanie Bryant



The day after Christmas.

We don't like to think about it as we plan for the big day tomorrow. But it always follows Christmas. Every year.

December 26th can feel like a deflated balloon after the most special of birthday parties.

Depression or regret can start to take root, and I want to consume more dessert (for breakfast) as my focus shifts to goals for the new year.

Reading Luke 2 this year left me wondering what the day after Jesus's birth was like for those that witnessed firsthand this blessed miracle. Let's put ourselves in the place of each of the main characters for just a moment:

The shepherds are visited by an angel and told the Savior of the world has been born. God had sent the angel to tell them to go find Him. The God of the Universe broke through the cosmos and the social barriers of the day to tell these lowly-status men Great News . . . and invite them to see it firsthand. They saw the Army of Angels praising God! Then, off to see the Savior of the World.



Mary was recovering from delivering a baby. Yes, a miracle from the Lord, the One all of eternity had awaited, but still a baby. She had sweat and pushed and cried among the animals on hay. She didn't have a cute layette to dress Him in but had to wrap him in cloth scraps and put Him in a trough. She watched as the brightest star she had ever seen shone over her son's manger and strangers began to come and bow before Him. She kept these things in her heart as any young mother would do, making memories in her mind that no camera could truly capture.



Three men traveled from distant lands to see what prophecy had foretold. They were wise and kings in their own regard. But this was what they had studied, charted stars for.  They curiously came to see the King of Kings.

Most representations of this scene bring a lump to my throat and tears of joy. How humble and glorious all at the same time! If in a movie, the music crescendos and the credits roll.

But what happened the following morning? What did the day after Jesus's birth bring?

Life continued.

The shepherds shared this Great Joy with those in town but went back to watching their flocks and working their herds. They went back to work.

Mary was feeding our Lord, changing his cloth diapers and recovering herself. I'm sure Mary and Joseph were exhausted from their journey to Bethlehem and already sleep deprived as new parents quickly become. They were overjoyed by this Miracle that God had given them. I'm sure consumed with thoughts of "What does this mean?" and prayers to be the parents that Jesus needed. Mary and Joseph began raising Jesus.

The wise men returned to their lands to share what they had experienced. I'm sure they ruled their households differently now. They had seen the light and knew the True Glory. Each would be a different king because of that night in the manger. Each returned to their role as wise man and king.

Each of the God-chosen individuals had witnessed The Truth, experienced Jesus for the first time and He had set them free. Free to be. . . to be the person God had created them to be and to live the life, work the role He had placed them in.

Each shared with others their experience, their encounter with Jesus in their own way. Each went to work. Each embraced the role they had been given by The Father of the Christ Child.

We will experience the Savior, Emmanuel & the King of Kings tomorrow. It's His birthday we're celebrating.

But on December 26th, how do you live in freedom? To do the work. To share this great joy, Good News you have witnessed and experienced in your own heart?

How will you share with others about your experience with the Christ Child?
What will you do as you go back to work in the fields?
How will you rule in your household differently because you've encountered the King of Kings?

Because what we do after the miracle is as important as experiencing the miracle itself.

:angel:
Today, I want to make a difference.
Here I am Lord, use me!

Judy Harder

A Winter's (Tree) Tale
Dec 24, 2013 12:10 am | Aubrey Sampson


Each December the weather in Chicago transforms into a super-villain, wielding the cold like a weapon, freezing everything in its path. A few years ago, with winter's formidable appearance on the forecast, I sent my husband and three sons to choose a Christmas tree before the roads were rendered useless. I stayed behind and began unpacking ornaments, heating up cocoa, and digging out holiday music, all to set the tree-trimming mood.


A few hours later they returned, mischievous smiles on their faces. "Guess what we got?"

My husband lugged six enormous cardboard boxes into our living room. The boys declared, "Surprise, Mom! It's the biggest tree in the world!"

I pride myself as an easy-going woman. I live with four of the male species, so I'm not generally rattled when they come home with things like dead cockroaches or the latest fart joke. But, I also consider myself a cultivator of beauty and simplicity. When I imagined our Christmas tree, it was charming. It was tasteful. It was alive.

I never envisioned a monstrosity of a plastic tree masquerading as a Douglas fir and towering three times the height of my husband. Standing eighteen-feet tall, six-feet wide, and pre-lit with brash blinking lights, the thing is gaudy enough to have its own act in Vegas.

Still, I could've responded with a teeny bit more patience.

"What in the world were you thinking? I don't care if you get a refund or ya' burn it. Get it out."

And just in case my point wasn't clear, "By the way, you've ruined Christmas."

The boys started crying. My husband slammed a door.

The winter villain had struck down in our home, crushing everyone's dreams, all because I wasn't getting the picturesque Christmas I demanded.

That night, after everyone was in bed (cocoa untouched, ornaments unhung), I snuck downstairs to examine the tree, trying to muster some ounce of grace for it. Instead, I sat on the couch and bawled. God, I need you to help me let go.

The boys spent the next day unwrapping their great-grandparents' handmade ornaments— the wooden rocking horse, the toadstool, the steeple, the manger— and hung them on the new tree with wire that my late Papa himself, fifty winters earlier, had twisted with love.

He, a soldier, fell for my grandma when she asked what he did in the army.

"Tanks," he answered.

"You're welcome," her witty response.

They were married the following year, for fifty-six more, until the day he died.

I imagined the two of them carving, sanding, and painting these ornaments. Fantasizing about future grand and great-grandfingers that would one day unwrap their advent treasures.

I realized that my family and our Christmas memories are the fullness of that dream.

"Hey guys," I confessed sheepishly, "Mama owes you and daddy an apology. I'm so sorry about how I acted last night. Can we please start over? Thank you for bringing home this...this...absolutely incredible tree."

That evening, in a pile of giggles and whispers about gifts to come, the boys fell asleep under their beloved giant. Their chubby cheeks flashed red, green, and blue under the twinkling lights.

This year, as winter begins her ascent and as we set up the tree that won't quit, there is a part of me that still craves a postcard Christmas; white lights on a quaint blue spruce. But, then I stop to praise God for our oversized tree.

It is, after all, my very tangible reminder that He creates warmth and light.

He thaws even the coldest of seasons.

:angel:
Today, I want to make a difference.
Here I am Lord, use me!

Judy Harder

A Christmas Scripture
Dec 25, 2013 12:20 am | incourage



An angel of the Lord appeared to them,
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were terrified.

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.
I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;
he is the Messiah, the Lord.
This will be a sign to you:
You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

Luke 2:9-14

May today be the happiest, warmest, most Christ-filled holiday for you and yours!
Merry Christmas!

Love,
the (in)courage team

:angel:
Today, I want to make a difference.
Here I am Lord, use me!

Judy Harder

For all the Married Ladies
Dec 27, 2013 12:20 am | Robin Dance




When you read this, it will be the Friday after Christmas when children are home from school and some families are still on the road.  Many are braving the mall to take back what doesn't fit or to empty gift cards when prices are at year-end lows.  Surfing the internet isn't the highest priority, even among the most devoted enthusiasts.

A perfect time for personal confession, yes?

Ok...deep breaths...here goes...

*

*

*

My marriage isn't perfect and I envy those that seem to be.

What? You say there's no such thing as a perfect marriage?? But it sure looks like it on the internet...

Instagram shots of hand-holding couples looking happy – no, downright blissful.
Facebook updates dripping with praise about how thoughtful/generous/funny one spouse is to another (on the day yours forgot your anniversary).
Blog posts extolling the virtue of a wife or the victories of a husband.
Husbands and wives who tweet love notes to one another, who sound so gloriously happy.
Or maybe in your real world, you see marital perfection at church on Sunday morning or at work on Monday morning or in your head every morning.

From observing one tiny piece of a puzzle, you make flawed comparisons upon which you draw faulty conclusions, and the image you construct isn't just imperfect, it's dangerous.
It's hurting your marriage.

It hurts mine.

Comparing our marriages to anyone else's is wrong.

If things are going well for you, it's risky because it can foster a sense of superiority or complacency; pride is a threat to your relationship (dare I remind you what it precedes?).  If things aren't going well, it's risky because it can create unreasonable expectations or justify or excuse sin, all potentially damaging.

Marriage is wonderful for so many reasons but that doesn't mean it's always easy (I wonder why it has to be so hard sometimes).  I'm thankful for seasons filled with roses and sunshine, but over 26 years our marriage has weathered storms and negotiated thorny valleys.  Among many important lessons, I've learned this this powerful truth:

Love isn't a feeling and it isn't in a falling; it's in the staying during Winter's darkest days.

Lovies, if you're in a season when all feels hopeless, please don't give in to it.  Hang in there.  Persevere.  Get through it.  When change seems impossible, pray for the eyes to see what God is accomplishing in you during this time.

Love isn't about your feelings; love is your decision to honor a commitment, a covenant...a King.

Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad...and sometimes it's downright ugly.

As you consider New Year's resolutions...
as you sift though a lot of words to find your One Word...
as you continue to count 1000 gifts or list your goals for 2014...
will you plan to invest in the single most important relationship you have on this earth?
Are you willing to invest in the single most important relationship you have on this earth?

(Before anyone wants to take me to task, I'm writing this for a ministry site to women, assuming your priority relationship is with Christ.)

Five suggestions to help you get started:

1.  Plan an overnight getaway without your children.  Do whatever you can to make this happen, and while you're away, be fully present with one another.  If you're celebrating a milestone anniversary or if it's been a long while (or never), splurge for an extra nice place.  Resist thinking "we can't afford it."  It might well be the best investment you make all year.

2.  Practice what 1 Corinthians 13 and Philippians 2:1-4 preach.  Be intentional about incorporating these actions into your everyday love expressions.  Speak love with words, yes, but also with what you do and how you respond.

3.  While you finally realize you can't change him, remember you can change yourself.  We want our husbands to be mind readers and, intuitively, to understand what we need and want.  When reality doesn't meet expectation, it's easy for frustration, disappointment or even bitterness to take root.  Rather than focus on what he's not doing, evaluate what you can.  Become a student of him; try to speak love in a way you typically don't.  Surprise him.  You might just surprise yourself.


4.  Take it offline.  Don't tell him how great he is in a Facebook status or brag on him on Twitter; email or text him directly.  Better yet, slip a love note in his wallet, on his car seat, or in red lipstick on the bathroom mirror.

5.  Invite him to discuss this post, to be honest with you.  Ask him to share his thoughts and ideas for investing in your relationship; if you're committed "for better or worse" how can you tip the scale more often toward the better side?

It's the little things that can undermine your relationship and erode affection.  Begin the new year pursuing a better marriage.
:angel:






Today, I want to make a difference.
Here I am Lord, use me!

Judy Harder

Unwrapped: The After-Christmas Blues
Dec 28, 2013 12:20 am | Angela Nazworth



The days between Christmas and New Years can feel heavy. The gifts are unwrapped, only cookie crumbs remain in the pretty tins, and returning to school or work is only a few days away.

In many ways, the passing of Christmas is comparable to reading the last sentence in an enthralling book. In the early chapters, the stage is being set. Then the main character is introduced, the plot begins to unfold, and new events and dialogue can be found on each page. But as the book nears its end, the excitement winds down. There's usually resolution within the story ... yet the reader isn't necessarily ready to let go.

I felt this way when I read the last line in the Hunger Games trilogy. I wanted to read more about Katniss, Peeta and the world that they lived in, so even though I was satisfied with the tale Suzanne Collins spun, I felt sad when the story ended.

I wanted more.

If we read the glorious story of the first Christmas and stop after we get to the part where "the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told" (Luke 2:21), it's only natural that we're going to feel a little let down.

If you stop there, the story – although beautiful – ends and you, the reader ... are left wanting more ... no ... needing more.

The fastest, most surefire way to fight and win against the after-Christmas blues is to remember that the story doesn't end with the chorus of angels and a visit from wise men.

If we keep reading, we learn more about baby Jesus. We learn about preteen Jesus giving his parents a scare after he had been presented at the temple. We learn about his baptism, his followers, his character, his commands of love and the ultimate sacrifice.

And when we get to the part of the book in the twenty-fourth chapter of Luke where the stone is rolled away and the tomb that was sealed is empty ... we know that the story continues still today for those who follow Jesus.

The story of Christmas doesn't end in a manger or on a cross or anywhere in ancient Israel. The story of Christmas continues today. It rushes forth with passion when we sing songs of praise. It covers our fears, our failings, our inadequacies. It gives us the power to speak truth and act with kindness and love.

When we recognize our role in the ongoing story of Christ's love, the days after Christmas can be even more enriching than December 25.

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." – Hebrews 10:23-25
:angel:


Today, I want to make a difference.
Here I am Lord, use me!

Judy Harder

Wise in My Own Eyes
Dec 30, 2013 12:20 am | Jennifer Schmidt



With my cozy blanket pulled all around me, I snuggle down into my thrifted sofa and spend time soaking in my surroundings.

Reminders of real-life living touch every corner of our home.

Mismatched socks in a pile, leftover cold coffee waiting to be reheated for the third time, pen marks from my special needs nephew who christened the wall, our fireplace mantel adorned with cuts of fir from our woods, my second-hand piano waiting to be painted something bold and lastly, my eyes settle in on our broken double-paned window.

Tucked away in a back corner of our sitting room, that cracked window still holds a golf ball from years past.

I haven't thought about that day in years, but I remember it well.

A typical afternoon, our three boys hooted and hollered in the side yard. As I peeked out the window, I saw them all swinging their golf clubs.

"Boys," I yelled out the back door, "aim your clubs in the opposite direction or someone's going to break a window."

Two of the three yelled back in affirmation, while the eldest responded with all the gumption his ten-year-old wisdom could muster, "Mom, there's no way I will hit the window. Absolutely no way! I know what I'm doing."

We went back and forth about obedience and choices, but he was sincerely convinced, there was no pending problem.

As I reached the opposite side of the house, I heard it!

Literally minutes after our exchange, that professional golfer hit and shattered the very window of which I had warned.

A few choice words flew from my mouth and I ordered him inside immediately. Livid doesn't describe my frustration.

"All I asked you to do was point your club in the opposite direction. How difficult is that for you? It's not. It's simple."

"Mom,  really, I am sorry. I was so sure that I wouldn't hit it."

Years later, that golf ball stills serves as a reminder, a marker of sorts.

2014 is the year to finally replace that hidden window, but as I ponder the life lessons that visual represents, it's many.

My son didn't set out to crack this window.

His heart attitude wasn't, "I will purposely disobey my mother because I want to do wrong," but rather, it stemmed from a scripture of old, "Every man did that which was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:25.)

He acted on his own authority and in the belief that he knew better. Ultimately, his wisdom and knowledge failed him.

As a mother of five, I'm continually discussing Proverbs 3:7 with our children. "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil." (NIV)

Yet the more I quote it for them, the Lord opens my eyes to how much it's meant for me (and maybe for you?).

Over the last few years, I've been fortunate to surround myself with wise, Godly women who continually cause me to think.

Proverbs 27:17 states, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."

While I firmly believe that, I've recently seen a subtle shift in some of the views that they've shared, and it's been challenging to step outside their strong collective thinking.  Their wisdom, which once stemmed solely from scripture, is now a mixture of choice scriptures and personal feelings that don't necessarily align with scripture. Their counsel is increasingly given without wanting to offend, but therefore it never quite confronts sin.

Every where I turn, society is challenging believers to look more like the world.

Christians pulling away from the theology that scripture is the inerrant (without error) Word of God, and philosophies assuring us that truth changes. "It's relative, and of course, a good God wants us all to be happy."

I look at the golf ball stuck in the shattered glass, cobwebs dusting the edging and am smacked with the reminder, "Wise in my own eyes. Wise in my own eyes."

Oh, Lord! Are we becoming a generation that is so wise in our own eyes; a society resting on political correctness that we are missing out on your Glory? Do we feel the need to "dress up" the Gospel with our own slant so that it's more appealing?

I love finding Christ smack dab in the middle of my mess. He is well-acquainted with grief; a man of sorrow,  a savior full of compassion. Joy is often found in the midst of heartbreak and sorrow, but this promise of happiness and good fortune that I keep hearing about, I have yet to find in scripture.

As I sit, listen and read, I think back to that day with my son.

He was so sure he was doing the right thing. He earnestly believed what he said to be true, and therein lies the problem.  Feelings fail us. Opinions, whether based on spiritual, social, or even political issues, must be vetted through scripture.

As the new year ushers in, I pray that my feelings and opinions never get in the way of His truth.

As the Lord continues to mold me, may I grow in righteousness as my own sin is revealed. I pray my tongue utters wisdom and my mouth speaks boldly what is just without compromise.

Since our golf ball serves as my object of remembrance, maybe we can each pick our own marker for the new year;  a tangible object to remind us that true wisdom is found at the foot of the cross. A mark of remembrance to be bold in His truth, compassionate with His love and humbled by His wisdom.



Q4U: Have you ever kept a tangible object as a reminder of an important life lesson or situation? Would you care to share? Is there an area that you've been convicted of to speak up boldly for Him?


:angel:
Today, I want to make a difference.
Here I am Lord, use me!

Judy Harder

Rewriting Resolutions & Choosing One Word
Jan 01, 2014 12:20 am | Mary Carver



About two years ago a certain fast food restaurant popped up two blocks from my house. Every time I drive out of my neighborhood, I come face to face with its yellow siren call of grease and goodness. (You know, the horrible kind of goodness that most of us don't admit to liking?)

I truly don't eat many meals there – unless you count breakfast. (You know, that meal some people call the most important one of all?) If you count breakfast, I might be what you would call a regular . . .

The funny thing is that for years now, I've ordered the same thing: two skinny, cheesy breakfast burritos. They're cheap and easy to eat in the car, and despite many promises from Pinterest, not all that easy to duplicate at home. So every time I go there, I order burritos.

Earlier this year, however, I started losing my taste for the burritos. I was less satisfied every time I ordered – and, yes, ate – them, and I'd declare that the last time I'd order and eat those cheesy burritos. Still, guess what I'd order the next time I pulled into the drive-thru? For some reason, I couldn't quite remember my decision to change and stuck to the same old thing.

I do that a lot. Not necessarily with food (although, yeah, I do that, too) – but with life in general. I've heard that the definition of insanity (or stupidity, depending on who you ask) is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different response.

As we begin this new year, many of us are looking ahead with hope for fresh starts and fulfilled dreams and changed lives. But are we going about it in the same old way?

Be honest. How many of you have scribbled down a list of resolutions? Maybe you're calling them goals this time, but they look eerily similar to your resolutions from 2013 . . . and 2012 . . . and, well, you get the picture.

I know I'm guilty of this. I've written, "Lose weight" and "Read through the Bible" on more lists than I can even recall. Every year, I promise myself, my friends and my family that THIS will be the year! THIS will be the twelve months in which I write a book and run a 5k and remember to floss my teeth. No, really, it will!

But somehow, those lists and declarations never turn out the way I imagine.

What if this year we did something different? Is it possible the result would be different, too?


One Word 365 is a community and a movement. It's about forgetting resolutions and scrapping your list of goals that you'll forget by next week – or be overwhelmed by in the same time frame. One Word 365 says:

Choose just one word. One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live. One word that you can focus on every day, all year long.

It will take intentionality and commitment, but if you let it, your one word will shape not only your year, but also you. It will become the compass that directs your decisions and guides your steps.

Discover the big impact one word can make.

One word. 365 days. A changed life.

Will you be brave and commit to just one word? Do you believe that one small word can have a big impact on your life, on your world?

We believe it at (in)courage. And I'm choosing one word for myself. (Read more on my blog.)

If you're choosing One Word for the next 365 days, will you tell us about it? Share your word in the comments, so we can join together and make THIS YEAR the one – the one where we change, the one where we live, the one that makes a difference!

For more information about One Word 365, visit OneWord365.com, Facebook or Twitter.

What's YOUR one word?

By Mary, who's giving up on perfect and resolutions by letting God rewrite her life this year.
:angel:


Today, I want to make a difference.
Here I am Lord, use me!

Judy Harder

Laying Foundations When You Want to Build Walls
Jan 03, 2014  Ruth Povey



The friend I'd arranged to meet that day never showed up. A message to say she was running late and then I suppose she decided not to bother at all, because there I was following my toddler around the park two hours later; and there she was on Facebook, updating everyone about where she'd been instead.

If several arrangements with other friends hadn't been cancelled during the last few weeks, I might not have cried. They had very valid reasons and I knew it wasn't personal, but there's always that fear – am I just not worth the effort? 

I might have held it together if I didn't remember being twelve years old and publicly uninvited to Joy Baker's birthday party, because her mother had said sorry, only 20 children when there were 21 in our class. If I couldn't recall the thousand other times in this fractured life I'd been too much or not enough; if every rejection hadn't burned into my heart, branding me unwanted, I might not have cried.

But that day, drained of the energy to try anymore, I did.

Have you been here too, a wave of pain solidifying into bitterness? Our heavy hurt can form bricks, willing us to build high, defensive walls. Barricaded in, we're safe aren't we? Where no one can touch us, we can't be hurt.

One Wednesday morning before cold crept in, desperate to escape this current loneliness, I made my way into a park full of other mothers and their everywhere children. Making conversation does not come naturally to me, but I said actual words to real-life people and then they replied. There were no kindred spirit moments and I didn't walk away with a friend for life, but every friendship formed has to start somewhere.

Every choice to keep reaching out is a foundation laid. 

The weather has turned now and there's a magic about the hotpots and gloves and fairy lights; there's something so wonderful about wrapping your hands around a mug of hot chocolate while the sky looms grey, framed by a frosty window. And I want to share it – to extend an invite to share gingerbread and hours and laughter with another. I don't want to fashion walls to keep others out. I want to open up my home and my heart. 

Friendship takes courage. We risk rejection. But what if, deep breath and jumbled words, we try again?

Be bold enough to tear down walls, lay foundations and brick on brick, strengthen one another from the ground up.

Reach out brave and try again.

**********

Have you ever found yourself in a period of loneliness?  Have past hurts left you afraid to reach out?  What steps could you take to connect with others?



:angel:
Today, I want to make a difference.
Here I am Lord, use me!

Judy Harder

The Problem With January
Jan 06, 2014 12:20 am | Sarah Markley



"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin." — Mother Teresa

When someone asks about my "five year plan," when I see people that I know and love on Instagram planning out the next 12 months in a family meeting, or when I see girls that have blog posts scheduled 30 weeks out, I begin to break out in hives.

I'll never be like that.

I'm not a planner. Not like that. Nor am I really a budgeter. And perhaps that's a problem to some of you. I don't look at January and say, "Wow! What a blank slate! Let's plan out the year!"

I simply move gently from December and the holidays into a new month with hope and anticipation that this year will be a little bit better than the year before. I do it quietly, without fanfare, and without a ton of planning.

I guess I'm more of a "today" type of girl.

The problem with January, besides the fact that all public gym facilities are completely swamped, is that we expect so much from the future and, because of the new-slate-ness of the month, we are tricked into thinking that it will be different this time around.  We look down the road and see all of the possibilities and then camp there, and only there, sometimes. We choose words to guide our year and we set out to lose weight, eat clean or read the Bible every morning.

And there is nothing wrong with this at all. There just seems to be something missing in the middle of it.

In my teens, one of my friend's mother was always going to "start her diet on Monday." I would always think, why not start it now? Why are we waiting until Monday? What is so special about Monday?

There isn't anything wrong with planning or waiting until a good day to begin a new program, but if the change is something we want to make, let's begin now. The problem with January is that if we need to make a change, let's do it today, not wait until a new year flips over every year.

Mother Teresa makes a good point (quoted above): Let's not wallow in the past or really figure out the future. Today is important and only that. She was really echoing James when he warned about thinking too hard about the far future. He says, "The reality is you have no idea where your life will take you tomorrow. You are like a mist that appears one moment and then vanishes another."

It really is about today.

It isn't about yesterday or about the future but about the now.

It is about the people and the love that is put in front of us right now. It is about the justices today that we want to see righted, it is about the problems that we can begin to solve today. It is about the simple, small change we can make in one life, right now. It is about the kind word, the quick note, the forgiveness we can give this minute.

It is about today.

What change will you make today? Are you a planner? What is God putting in front of you today?



:angel:
Today, I want to make a difference.
Here I am Lord, use me!

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