How’s your Vision?

20 years ago, we were trepidatiously awaiting the clock to strike midnight. Y2K and all of it’s promised glitches and meltdowns were upon us. The New Year’s ball was dropping and all we could do was sit back and wait for the technical havoc to begin.

Well, the clock struck midnight. The dates on our computers rolled over and the world did not end.

True story. 😉

Now, here we are at the dawning of the third decade of this once-feared millennium. We live in a world where our whole lives can be accessed with a thumbprint or even a face (if you like that whole facial recognition thing!), where purchases can be made in seconds with the swipe or tap of a card (if the chip is not damaged or if the network isn’t down), where every aspect of our homes can be controlled with a single app on our phones from hundreds of miles away (if you’re not afraid your house will become too smart and learn to control you! Watch Sci-Fi much??) and where information is readily available with just the call of a name – “Hey, Siri!” (She’s always listening. Always….).

If only we could have seen what 2020 was going to look like as we fearfully counted down to the year 2000, if only we could’ve had a small glimpse of what two decades of technological advancement was going to bring, we would’ve had a good laugh at the threat of that silly Year 2000 Bug, now wouldn’t we.

But that’s the problem with the future – none of us know what it will bring. We listen to the doomsday predictions. We worry about tomorrow’s problems. We stress and bite our nails. We gobble up bottles of anti-acids and we wait for the misery, trouble and chaos to come our way.

What a complete waste of our time!!!

We miss so many blessings when we spend our time worrying.

Jesus put it like this:

“Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? If then you’re not able to do even this little thing, why worry about the rest?”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭12:25-26‬ ‭CSB‬‬

You see, God knows what tomorrow will bring. He knows the answer to your problems. He has the remedy for your fears. And here’s a shocker:

We don’t.

So, the choice is yours. You can step into the new year, or any day for that matter, in fear of the unknown. Or you can move forward trusting in God’s plan, asking Him to reveal His Vision for your future, and believing that no matter what comes your way, God will use it for your good.

I don’t know about you but I think I’ll trust God’s “2020 vision” instead of my own. After all, He’s already been there and He can’t wait for us to discover all He has in store!

Happy New Year!

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Reason to SMILE #199: BEING ME/BEING YOU

Much of my life, I’ve longed to be like everyone else. I’ve wanted to fit in, to be seen as an equal to my peers.

I’ve dreamed of finding a place where I could feel at home and a group of people with which I could feel comfortable.

I’ve dreamed of the day when I could walk into a building, see faces light up because of my presence and hear my name shouted across the room.

Wait – that’s a TV show –

“Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your na-a-ame”¹

Bum-bum-bum

“And they’re always glad you ca-a-ame”¹

Sorry. I couldn’t resist.

But wouldn’t it be nice?…

Rarely do I ever feel as though I fit in. Rarely have I ever found anyone with whom I could be myself and say what I think without fear of judgment. Rarely do I feel comfortable in a group, no matter how large or small. Rarely do I feel accepted for me, just me.

But I’ve learned a thing or two about acceptance and fitting in along my journey in life. You see, no matter how much I long to be the same as others or fit into a particular group, I simply wasn’t made for that.

Neither were you!

You and I were made to be different,

to stand out from the crowd and

to glorify God with our uniqueness.

Yep. I am very different. Maybe even a bit weird. But that’s okay. God has a specific plan for all of my quirks and peculiarities and He has a wonderful plan for yours, too!

Embrace your uniqueness and SMILE.

 

 

¹ “Cheers Theme Song” by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart-Angelo

A Year of Smiles – Day 329

Reason to SMILE #329: TRUSTING GOD’S PLAN

This was my Christmas tree.

It was not being very cooperative. And it certainly was not making me SMILE. (Nor my husband – Yikes!)

This is the third year that we’ve purchased a real tree. I suppose it was time for one of them to rebel. 😉 No matter what we did, the tree simply would not stand up straight. We tried everything. It was so frustrating. I almost resigned myself to decorating this leaning tower of pine needles and cocking my head to one side every time I looked at it. Tilt to the right. There! It’s perfect! 😉

As I surveyed my crooked tree, I wondered why it was being so difficult. Didn’t it know that soon it would be decorated with twinkling lights and colorful ornaments? Didn’t it know that soon it would be fulfilling it’s purpose – being a Christmas tree?

Yeah. I realize it didn’t know anything. It’s a tree but by the way it was fighting me, I couldn’t help but see it as an ornery child or…

… a stubborn Christian.

We often act like this uncooperative evergreen, don’t we? We hear God’s voice telling us to move and we feel His hand nudging us in the direction He wishes us to go but we tenaciously refuse. We’re quite comfortable with where we are, who we are and what we’re doing. Why should we make a change?

“No, God,” we object, “I don’t want to go there; I’d feel out of place. I don’t want to do that; I’m not qualified. I don’t want to get rid of that habit; it’s not that bad.” Our objections are plentiful and the “buts” flow freely as we firmly plant our feet or run in the opposite direction. Surely, God doesn’t know what He’s doing. Surely, God is mistaken.

Oh, but if we only knew. The change we so adamantly refuse or the direction we do not follow or the call we do not heed is only pointing us to our intended purposes. If we’d yield to the Heavenly Father’s urgings to move, to change, to follow, we’d enable God to create something amazing with our lives. If we’d trust His Plan, we’d discover a life more fulfilling, more abundant and more beautiful than we’d ever find on our own.

And in following God’s plan, we’d always find a reason to SMILE.

A Year of Smiles – Day 291

Reason to SMILE #291: HE’S GOT YOU!

Matthew 6:25 – 26

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Read those verses again and let that thought wash over you.

Are YOU not much MORE VALUABLE?

By the way, that question – it’s rhetorical. But in case you are unsure, the answer is “Yes! Yes you are!” And our God will take care of you.

He’s got you!

So stop with the worrying. It’s time to SMILE!

A Year of Smiles – Day 242

Reason to SMILE #242: BIRTHDAYS

My birthday to be exact!! I’ve made it another year. I am alive and kickin’. That’s more than enough reason to SMILE and certainly a reason to celebrate!

Oh, I used to dread these annual reminders of my ever increasing age. With each year that passes, however, I realize how blessed I am to have this time and this life that God has given me. And as my age increases, my list of SMILES continues to grow and grow and grow.

Think your existence doesn’t matter? Think your birthday is just another day? Think again, my friend. Before you were born, God knew you. He laid out a plan for you. You were not a surprise and you certainly were no mistake! You have a reason to celebrate and the best reason to SMILE!

Happy, happy day to you. Find a reason to SMILE and share it with those around you!

And Happy Birthday to me! 🙂

A Year of Smiles – Day 200

Reason to SMILE #200: BIBLE TRIVIA

I thought she was asking a serious question.

She was simply sharing a silly SMILE.

She had no idea how much I needed it!

A Year of Smiles – Day 199

Reason to SMILE #199: BEING DIFFERENT 

All of my life, I’ve longed to be like everyone else. I’ve wanted to fit in, to be seen as an equal to my peers. I’ve dreamed of finding a place where I could feel at home and a group of people with which I could feel comfortable. I’ve dreamed of the day when I could walk into a building, see faces light up because of my presence and hear my name shouted across the room. Wait – that’s a TV show –

“Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your na-a-ame”

Bum bum bum

“And they’re always glad you ca-a-ame”

Sorry. I couldn’t resist. But wouldn’t it be nice?…

Rarely do I ever feel as though I fit in. Rarely have I ever found anyone with whom I could be myself and say what I think without fear of judgment. Never do I feel comfortable in a group, no matter how large or small. Rarely do I feel accepted for me, just me.

But I’ve learned a thing or two about acceptance and fitting in along my journey in life. You see, no matter how much I long to be the same as others or fit into a particular group, I simply wasn’t made for that. Neither were you. You and I were made to be different, to stand out from the crowd and to glorify God with our uniqueness.

Yep. I’m very different. Maybe even a bit weird. That’s okay because I wasn’t made to fit. And knowing God has a specific plan for all of my quirks and peculiarities is a wonderful reason to SMILE.

Gone Fishin’

“What do I do now?” Do you ever find yourself in life’s uncertain situations not knowing where to turn, what to say or what to do?  Well, I do and I have to admit, I do not enjoy these times. They are no fun, at all!  I open God’s Word and read one passage that points me in one direction and then flip to a different passage that seems to point me in another.  I seek godly counsel only to hear advise that tends to confuse the matter even more.  It’s enough to make me want to throw in the towel and run away from it all. I think, at times, that is what many of us do.  

But we don’t have to run.  In fact, we shouldn’t run.  There is an answer to the question, “What do I do now?”.  Are you ready for it?  

You may want to sit down for this.  

The answer is “GO FISHING.”

Yes, sir-ree.  That’s what I said.  “Go fishing.”

When you are facing a dilemma, when you’re at a fork in the road, when the world is crashing in around you, what should you do?  Go fishing.  Why not?  That’s what the disciples did.  

In John 21, we find Peter, Thomas, Nathanael and some of the other disciples at the Sea of Galilee.  They had just witnessed Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection.  They had been together behind locked doors when Jesus appeared to them and gave Thomas the physical proof he needed to believe the Lord was alive.  They knew Jesus was leaving to return to His Heavenly Father and they were scratching their heads saying, “What next?”  Then Peter declares, “I’m going fishing.” And the rest of the disciples followed. 

Leave it to Peter to just get up and do something.  He was never much for mulling over an idea.  He was always brash and quick to react – always decisive, never considering the outcome of his actions.  Good ol’ Peter decided to go fishing, but this time, he didn’t have such a bad idea.  What a fishing trip it turned out to be!  Not only did the disciples catch more fish than they could haul but this trip resulted in the revelation of God’s plan for Peter’s life.   

“Simon, do you love me?” asked Jesus. 

“Yes, Lord, you know that I do,” replied Peter.    

“Feed my sheep,” Jesus said. 

Peter went fishing.  He returned to what he knew best and it turned out that Peter was in just the right place for God to restore Peter’s life and to commission him for His service.   

So, what about you?  Are you facing one of those uncertain situations?  Do you want to just walk away from it all or are you ready to go fishing?  What do you know best?  What do you know for certain about God?  I know that God loves us (Romans 5:8).  I know that God has a purpose for us (Ephesians 2:10).  I know that He will walk with us in every situation (Psalm 23:4).  I know that He is listening when we pray (1 John 5:14 – 15).  I know that God has called each of us to tell others about Him (Matthew 28:19 – 20).  I know that He has given each one of us specific gifts and talents that He wants us to use for His service (Romans 12:4 – 8).  

So, what are we waiting for?  Let’s give our burdens to the Lord.  Let’s love our neighbors.  Let’s tell others about Him.  Let’s serve God with the gifts He has given us in the place He has put us.  We may not know God’s specific plan but if we are following God, doing what we already know we should do, we may just find that we are in the perfect spot for God to come in and change our lives forever. 

I’m going fishing! Would anyone else like to join me?

You Weren’t Made to Fit: A Letter to my “Square Peg”

Every day, I watch you struggle to find a place where you “fit”.  I see how much you long to be included, to feel at home somewhere, to feel accepted just as you are.  I feel your hurt when all the “Round Pegs” around you push you away because of your corners.  Oh, how I wish I could take away that hurt.  I wish I could make the world see the awesome kid that you are.

The bad news is I can’t.  I can’t change people.  I can only leave them in God’s hands.

But the good news is you’re going to be ok.  You see, you weren’t made to fit into the mold of this world.  God made you a “Square Peg” for a reason.  He molded you in His image and He has a purpose for those beautifully pronounced corners.  He has a job for you that only you can do – a job that requires your determination and resolve to go your own way, your imagination and creativity and your interesting perspective on life.

Knowing this won’t make life any easier, though.  You’ll still be teased. You’ll still hear ugly things that make you feel unimportant.  But when you are feeling down and you think there’s no place that you will ever “fit” or be accepted, just remember that God loves you just as you are, corners and all.  You will always “fit” perfectly in His great big arms.

How do I know this?  It’s simple.  I’m a Square Peg, too.  And, this Square Peg will always be here for you, ready to wipe away any tears, to polish up those awesome corners and to walk with you as you discover the great things God has planned for you.

“I will praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

Plan B

I’m a “Plan A” kind of person.  I spend hours, days, weeks and more preparing, organizing and lining up every detail so that Plan A will come off without a hitch.  After all, Plan A is the best plan so why settle for anything less?  And just as one of my college friends recently posted on his Facebook wall, I simply don’t have time to develop a Plan B.  But the reality is there are times when Plan B is necessary like when the church is hosting a Family Fun Night filled with all kinds of outdoor activities for the kids and the weatherman is calling for rain. That is exactly where I found myself the other day.

What were we going to do?  The bouncy houses had already been reserved.  The cotton candy, popcorn and snow cone machines were ready to go and the children were anticipating a fun evening outdoors.  But the weather radar was filled with green, yellow and red blobs and those blobs were heading our way.  I had an indoor game that we could play that would involve children, youth and adults.  And the cotton candy, popcorn and snow cones would be just as good inside as they would outside but Plan A – that is what I wanted to do.  I prayed for God to hold back the rains, at least until after our fun night.  I refused to look at the radar even though our youth minister kept giving me updates.  I simply did not want to go to Plan B but God had other plans.  Those colorful blobs from the radar stayed their course and the rains did come.

So, we played the craziest, most chaotic game we could play in a church dining hall and we ate snow cones, popcorn and cotton candy.  Though the evening began with a little disappointment, it ended with excitement, exhaustion and even a bit of amazement.  Plan B worked and we all had a great time.  How do I know?  It was the hug I received at the end of the night just before a little boy was leaving and the words that made Plan B all worthwhile – “Bye, Ms. Karen.  I had fun with you tonight.”  Yeah.  I’m thinking my Plan B was God’s Plan A all along!