Let's try this Again

 ^{Philippians 4:12, 13}
"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength"

What is the secret of being content?
Sometimes I am content...
When life is rolling along and the puzzle pieces seem to fall into place quickly and easily...
I think...'I am content.'!!

When I think of contentment...It makes me think of the 'bucket list..
I hear people talking about their own 'bucket lists'.
This list usually comes from a place of 'discontent,'
....a place of, if only... or what if ?...

But, I think their should be 2 buckets...the 'settled' and 'not willing to settle'...buckets...

In my first bucket.....are 'cool' things I have done...'Settled!!'...been there done that !!
So lets start there..
*lived in Africa for a couple months working in area church's and school's..
*whitewater rafted down a 'crazy' river in North Carolina with a dear friend ..
*parasailed..
*worked in the Prison's ministry.
*worked with mentally challenged adults (awesome).
*sang at funerals and weddings and a lot of wonderful places in between.
*flown all over the world for the last 20+ years.
*camped out on the Luangua River (borders Zambia).
*blessed to marry my amazing best friend...He loves Jesus and me, is brilliant, funny, and handsome!
*helped to raise my nieces.
*escorted our U.S. Army to Kuwait and then back home again..
So that is my list...just off the top of my head....a bucket, I sometimes drink from when I need to remember well..

In my second bucket are things I'm not willing to 'settle' on, quite yet..
*I hope to leave a mark on the world through my writing and singing.
*Would love to learn a foreign language (not just airlplane spanish)
*Play piano (well, with 2 hands even)
*Possibly adopt..
*Go yearly with my hubby to wonderful destinations
*Be 'brave enough' to let God lead us everyday..

Think for a few moments,.. all the wonderful and amazing things you have done..and then remember that it is never too late to start fresh and accomplish more than you ever thought possible...
It's not only about finishing well, it is also about remembering well...

"I can do all this through him who gives me strength"


**Make two lists and go for it, but pray first... that God will allow you, to accomplish those dreams that really matter!

And to be content no matter what??, The secret is this...in all things Paul's focus went right back to Jesus...that is the secret...getting grounded in the One who loves you most, choosing contentedness and thankfulness, so you can learn to understand the dreams He has for you.
Then you know the ones that are worth pursuing.

Remembering well, will definitely allow you to finish well...

The Stuff that Life is Made of..."

"Where do you find your strength?"  The question came to me in the middle of the night.

The answer came just as quickly.

I knew immediately where I 'should' look, but I also knew that so very often, the place I should look is sometimes the very 'last place' I go.

When life is the hardest, we often find ourselves in a crumbled heap at the foot of the cross. Maybe we don't even recognize where we are..

But isn't it true,..that when we hurt the most, it is in those moments
we realize how much we need something or someone to heal our wounds.

And the only One qualified to heal is, the very One who has risen above His wounds.

When we are at our wits end, we discover that He is the only One who can hold us together.


But what about the 'stuff ' that life is so often made of.....

From simple aggravations, and annoyances, to major frustrations,..... from low self esteem, forgetful husbands, anxiety, depression, nagging children, whiny teenagers, gossipy friends, cheating spouses, long awaited answers to prayers, bullys, endless searches for companionship, to self doubt  ...and the list goes on and on.... 

I am certain our daily 'stuff' is different for each of us and changes from day to day...


So lets pretend for a moment that He is asking you the same question that awakened me.

He is whispering.."Where do you find your strength?"

*Are you looking to friends and family for words of encouragement ? What if they don't have the right words or they are not around when you need them most??....

*Is your strength found in the bottle or other drugs ?....Eventually the bottle runs dry, you sober up and nothing has changed...

*Are you blaming the past ?...Our past can never be undone or outrun...but it can be built upon...

*Do you look to others for approval ?...God alone, sees your heart and He loves you right where you are...

*Are you beating yourself up, and somehow thinking that you deserve it ?....You don't deserve that and you are the only one who can decide to allow Him into your brokeness. 

There is really only one place you can go to really heal the wounds...And when you go there, you realize that
He has never let go of your hand,
He has never lost sight of you...
In a crumbled heap He finds you and restores your brokenness when you look to Him for your strength..
Joel 2:25 
“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten..."

Some of us hope for this more than others, and yet each of us know,...
It is time...It is time!!...to lift our eyes..to the hills...and take Him at His Word....

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth."
Psalm 121:1