Finding Your Direction

March 18, 2018Leave a comment

constantin-popescu-347447-unsplash

Where are you headed in life? When navigating a boat in open waters, a captain must continually consider his direction. Getting slightly off course can send his ship into a dangerous situation or to an unintended destination. When navigating the waters of life, we want to stay on course toward our desired destination as well. How do we find our direction and continue on a positive trajectory in life?

Consider your Purpose – If we plan to go nowhere, we will get there every time. But if we have hopes and dreams and a purpose in life, we can set our path in that direction. Certainly goals change and life takes twists and turns, but when we keep our ultimate purpose in mind we can correct the course and continue moving toward the target. Let’s take some time to be still and ponder some of life’s bigger questions as we think about where we are headed. We can ask ourselves:

What is most important to me in life?
What am I put on this earth to do?
What legacy do I want to leave in life?

We may not have all the clear answers to these questions, but simply thinking about them helps us begin to determine where we are headed and where we eventually want to land.

Chart the Course – What is our plan of action as we head toward our destination? A wise navigator considers the possible storms, the length of the voyage, the necessary crew and the provisions needed for the journey. First, we must surround ourselves with positive and wise people who believe in our vision and can encourage and advise us along the way. What are the other provisions necessary? It’s possible we may need further education, or we may need to develop a particular skill. Creating a one-year plan, a five-year plan and perhaps a ten-year plan can help us get a vision of what is needed down the road. Breaking down the one-year plan into quarters and writing out specific action steps for each quarter can also help us move forward in manageable steps.

Look Up. Ancient mariners used the stars to guide their paths, and we can look to our Heavenly Father to guide our way. We can best navigate the waters of life as we seek our Creator’s wisdom and direction. It is good to know that we do not travel alone. He who sees all, promises to guide us along the way. Here’s His message to His people:

This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you what is best for you,
who directs you in the way you should go.”

Isaiah 48:17

This week, let’s look to Him to direct our paths and light the way in front of us.

Looking for positive answers. Check out Karol’s book, Positive Life Principles for Women.

9780736950114_p0_v1_s260x420

Regaining Strength

March 12, 2018Leave a comment

jimmy-conover-399770-unsplash

It’s easy to feel down or frustrated after experiencing a failure or loss or setback of some sort. Our immediate reaction may be fear or despair, while hope and strength feel beyond our reach. Helplessness and hopefulness are at two opposite ends of the emotional spectrum, and yet there are always small steps we can take to climb out of our feelings of failure and move forward in life.

How do you regain your strength in order to keep going? Here are some principles that will help the process:

Grieve the loss, don’t ignore the pain. Allow yourself to feel sad when disappointment happens.
Find a healthy way to express your feelings – journaling, walking, talking to a friend, painting, gardening, etc.
Seek God’s comfort and ask Him for strength to move forward.
Choose to look for glimmers of hope. Find something for which you can give thanks each day.
Take a step forward in a positive direction, even if it is simply meeting a colleague or friend.
Step out and help someone else. Make a plan for how you can use your experience to strengthen another person.

In my own life, when I have faced hurt or disappointment I have found that God gives me an inner strength beyond what I could produce on my own. The Bible reminds us that He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of need. This week focus on the strength He gives. And always remember, where we are weak, He is strong.

Photo by Jimmy Conover on Unsplash

Ignite

March 5, 2018Leave a comment

linus-sandvide-566314-unsplash

One life lived with passion, purpose and purity – that’s how I would describe Billy Graham. As we celebrate his life and his home-going to Heaven, I want to encourage each of us to carry the torch. His death shouldn’t put a dark cloud over our heads, but rather it should ignite a fire in our hearts. Billy Graham used the gifts God gave him to proclaim the message of light and truth in a dark world.

What are the gifts God has given you?

Perhaps it’s writing.

Or maybe it’s serving.

Or teaching.

Or encouraging.

Or leading.

Or giving.

Consider the gifts you have been given and carry the torch. Shine the light of God’s love and share the message of hope that He brings to this world. Jesus said,“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Billy Graham certainly demonstrated what Jesus was talking about in shining His light. Jesus’ message wasn’t’ just for Billy Graham, it was for each of us as followers of Christ. Let’s honor Billy Graham’s legacy by carrying on the torch and igniting the embers of revival throughout our country.

For more about Billy Graham and to view his memorial service Click Here.

Photo by Linus Sandvide on Unsplash

The Power of Team

February 20, 2018Leave a comment

joris-berthelot-561615-unsplash

The winter Olympic events are always spectacular to watch, but this year something else caught my eye – the Norwegian Ski Team. Although they compete in mostly individual sports, they move, practice and live as a bonded team. They provide an unique example of the power of camaraderie and the beauty of selflessly working together.

The New York times called the Norwegian team “a contrarian mix of humility, egalitarianism and basic respect.” In a society that tends to be all about self – the Norwegian team is an inspiring example of thinking of others. At this point, Norway leads the world in gold medals and overall medals.

One of Norway’s gold medalist in men’s team ski-jumping, Robert Johansson said, “I really like the team competitions. I think we’re really good friends, travelling a lot of days during the year together.” The team shares meals with one another and spend about 250 days together every year. That’s a lot of togetherness!

There’s an incalculable strength that comes from the bond of a team. Cheering one another on and going the extra mile to help another person succeed is true teamwork. Teams strengthen one another and hold each other accountable. When you are a part of a team, you are working for something much bigger than yourself – you don’t want to let your fellow team mates down.

An old African proverbs says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

The apostle Paul wrote, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” That’s true teamwork!

Think about ways that you tend to try to achieve on your own. Are there people God has placed in your life with whom you can join together and encourage? How can the power of a team transform the work He has called you to do?

Photo by Joris Berthelot on Unsplash

Laugh

February 9, 2018Leave a comment

allie-milot-514427

We know that laughter is good medicine emotionally speaking, but evidence reveals that there are physical benefits as well. A number of years ago, Norman Cousins, famous editor of Saturday Review, was told he had a severe case of an incurable, progressive, connective tissue disease. He decided instead of sitting around allowing the pain to take over, he would become proactive in his health care management and especially his attitude. One of the things he decided to do was to obtain copies of old shows and movies he had always enjoyed like “Candid Camera” and Marx Brothers films. He also decided to read humorous books. He reported that 10 minutes of genuine belly laughter would relieve his intense pain for hours.

While Norman was in the hospital he started a routine of watching movies, laughing, sleeping, watch movies, laughing sleeping and so on. After a while he was moved out of the hospital because his laughter was disturbing other patients, but he continued his treatment with astounding results. Using massive doses of vitamin C and a tremendous amount of laughter every day, he experienced a gradual withdrawal of his symptoms and eventually regained most of his freedom of movement. You can read his entire story in his book, Anatomy of an Illness (Bantam Books, 1981).

What are some ways you can be intentional about laughter in your own life? Sometimes it comes down to a choice. When you make a mistake or something frustrating happens, find a way to laugh rather than despair. When someone says a discouraging remark, respond with a little chuckle and a positive comment. Opportunities to laugh are all around us, we just need to be looking for them. And always remember, never laugh at people, just laugh with them.

Finally, remember to smile often. Studies show that smiling elevates our mood. I like to think of smiles as gifts we give to other people to uplift their day. It’s not about how you feel as much as it is about making someone else feel better. Be honest with your emotions and grieve when you need to, but don’t miss the many invitations to smile that show up on a regular basis. As Valentines Day approaches, may your days be filled love and laughter, as you enjoy life and lift up the people around you.

Photo by Allie Milot on Unsplash