Each Day is a Gift.....

Roast of the Day: Medium

Can you believe that we are actually approaching the Christmas season in a couple of months? As such, I thought it only fitting that I blog about gifts.

Can you remember the excitement of Christmas back when you were a child? The anticipation of opening the gifts under the tree was almost unbearable. It didn't seem to matter what the gift was back then....only that someone loved us enough to wrap up something in pretty paper and give it to us. We would tear into that present with wild abandonment. We weren't concerned about saving the pretty wrapping paper or the bow. We just wanted to see what was inside the wrapping paper. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, we grew up...and opening presents became more of a tradition or ritual. We started neatly unwrapping the outer paper and folding it up, perhaps saving it for another use.

Our excitement and anticipation over the gifts has become diminished and our reactions to the gifts is, at best, predictable. Pleasantries and gratitude are still communicated, but true feelings and raw emotion are seemingly all but gone from the experience.

You've heard it been said that "each day is a gift." Well then, I wonder....how are you opening that gift each morning? Has it become a ho-hum ritual for you each and everyday? Do you neatly fold back the pretty wrapping paper and say your obligatory 'thank you' - all the while waiting for your next gift to be opened?

I, for one, believe we need to capture our childlike excitement once again. Imagine if we could wake up each morning and open our gift with the wild abandonment of our youth. Who knows what type of day is wrapped beneath that pretty paper, but the One who loves us and gave it to us.....Carpe Diem!

When was your last "I-exam"?

Roast of the Day: Medium Roast

I recently posted a summary of this blog on my Facebook "thankful" posts, but I still believe it is worth a read...

I still remember the day in the fourth grade when I received the news that I needed to get eyeglasses. Our class had just taken the mandatory eye exam given by the school nurse, and I guess I failed (I should have been listening closer to the person reading off the chart in front of me). Anyway, I remember coming home from school in tears, realizing that this one event was going to change my life forever. Okay...I may have been a bit over dramatic at the time, but what can you expect, I was in the fourth grade.

What I failed to realize at the time was that those eyeglasses would vastly improve my vision. It wasn't until I put on these new glasses that I truly understood how bad my vision had been. For any of you that have experienced this phenomenon, you know what I'm talking about. Everything instantly became clearer and crisper. I could make out all of the jagged edges on the leaves of the trees, my perspective of things seemed so much clearer, and even the colors seemed more vivid. At the time, it was hard for me to believe that I hadn't noticed what I was missing earlier.

I believe there is quite a parallel here to our faith. Many of us are walking through our daily lives in a blur and we don't even know it. We are so used to 'seeing' things from our current perspective and we are missing out on the perfect 'vision' that God can provide. When we make the decision to put our faith in Christ, it's like putting on those eyeglasses for the first time. Our 'vision' becomes so much clearer and crisper, which transcends all areas of our lives.

As I am learning, however, we cannot simply put on our first pair of eyeglasses and be done with it. Over the past 40 some odd years, I've had to continually get my eyes re-examined - because over time, my eyes grow lazy and my vision slowly deteriorates. Without those eye examinations and my new prescriptions, I would slip back into settling for vision that is less than perfect. So, I believe, it is with our faith walk.

If we want to continue to make a difference and 'see' things through God's perspective, we must take the time for our own 'I' exams. These 'I-examinations', as I have labeled them, should be things that challenge us in our walk, such as getting involved in a local church, becoming part of a small group, a commitment to read God's word, a mission trip, any number of things that will push us to 'see' the heart of God with more clarity and get His perspective.

So, I will leave you with this last thought to ponder, "When was your last 'I-exam'?"

Gotta Work on My "IFs"

Roast of the day: Medium

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will direct your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)

If you're someone that is familiar with the Bible, I'm sure you probably recognize this passage. Like many of you, I've read these particular verses countless times. It's a Scripture passage that is both a proverb and a promise. It wasn't until recently that God revealed a new insight to me that I wanted to share.

Like many of the promises found in Scripture, this passage can really be broken down into an IF - THEN statement. If we trust in the Lord with all our hearts...If we don't depend on our own understanding...If we seek Him in all we do - Then He will direct our paths.

I think there are too many times that I want the "then" without the effort of the "if." I find myself asking God to help guide me or direct me in an upcoming decision without fully examining how I've been fulfilling my "if" requirements. Have I been trusting the Lord with ALL my heart? Is it possible that I've been leaning too heavily on my own knowledge and understanding? Have I truly been seeking His will in ALL I do? This is not legalism - this is showing love and devotion.

Lord, help me work on my ifs, before expecting the promises of Your thens.

Don't let the mundane pass you by...

Today's Roast:  Medium

I have to start out by owning up to the fact that I am never going to be an everyday blogger.

There, I've said it. Although I'd love to scratch down my thoughts on a daily basis, it's really hard...not only to find the time (albeit I admit it's a bit easier for that during our current circumstances), but also figuring out content. I'm not sure I have enough interesting or deep thoughts to ramble on about.

With that said, I am going to try to commit to posting a blog on a weekly basis. However, you must understand that this is coming from an ENFP (for those of you that are Myers-Briggs aficionados) and a 7 (for those of you Enneagrams out there). In other words, my full intention is to keep up this this blog, but my follow through may be a bit lacking.

Now, onto the mundane.

Prior to our current circumstances, or if you happen to be one of the many essential workers that must actually go to the office or factory...perhaps you can relate to this post.

If any of you have a lengthy drive into work, it can become rather mundane. When I used to work in Maple Grove (for 28 years), every morning - Monday through Friday - I would drive virtually the same route to and from work. The commute would take roughly 35 to 45 minutes each way. Many times, if I was on the phone or listening to the radio, I could arrive at my destination seemingly on autopilot.

One morning, as was typical, I was driving my regular route, listening to the radio, busy with the thoughts of the coming day. Suddenly, I received a tap on my shoulder...."Look around you. My beautiful creation is all around you - and you are just passing it by." Obviously, this wasn't a physical tap on the shoulder - but the feeling was just as real. I turned off the radio and just began taking in all of the wondrous beauty that nature was displaying around me. The sun, the trees, things that I had driven by hundreds of times seemed new and fresh. I was amazed at how much I missed everyday on my drive into work...just because I was busy in the mundane.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating that we not pay attention what we're doing behind the wheel and drive with our heads out the window. But there is something to that old adage that we need to "stop and smell the roses." Take some time and notice all of the amazing creation around you. Don't let the seemingly mundane pass you by...

Take time to sharpen...

Roast: Medium Dark

I believe Spring is finally upon us. If you believe the calendar, the official first day of Spring was back in March, but it hasn't felt consistently "spring-like." However, the past two days have been nice. The temperature supposedly reaching into the mid-60s tomorrow is one indicator, but to me, the far greater sign of Spring is the return of the bird songs.

I decided to take advantage of the warm weather today and yesterday to do some walking. As I stepped outside, I was amazed at the chorus being sung. I couldn't believe how loud the bird songs seemed to be...it was as if hundreds of birds were busy announcing their return and it was wonderful.

As I took the time to listen and enjoy the moment, it occurred to me that these same birds have probably sung their choruses throughout the past summers, only I don't ever recall hearing them like this in June, July or August. I believe this is probably because with all the added activities, commotion and other noises that come with the warmer weather, we become dull to hearing these beautiful songs. It's only after the long and quiet winter months that our senses are sharpened such that when a day like today comes around the music is overwhelming.

This is not unlike the Christian walk, where - over time - we can become dull to many different facets to which we were once sharp. I don't want to be dull. I want to hear the birds singing their songs throughout the summer, and I want to be prepared for whatever God has in store for me. I want to make sure I take time to sharpen....