by | Life Application
Amber Thomas graduated high school in the small town of Belle, my hometown, in 2010. Life should have been just getting started for her. For an eighteen year old fresh out of high school, college should have been in her thoughts. But, God had a different plan.
Amber has recently been diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). According to the American Cancer Society, there were about 5,300 new cases of ALL reported in 2010. The term “acute” means the cancer grows quickly. Cancer is an ugly word.
Amber has finished her first round of treatments, including chemotheraphy, steroids, radiation, bone marrow or stem cell transplants, and growth factors. However, due to other medical issues, she isn’t staying away from the hospital long.
I am asking you to join me in prayer for Amber and her family as they go through this difficult time. We all know God is the ultimate healer. I will be praying for healing, strength, understanding, and for God to provide finances for Amber and her family as they walk through these difficult times. Thank you for joining me.
Do you have a special prayer request for you or someone you know?
by | Life Application
“For those who still think social media is just a bunch of noise, then social media for those folks will likely remain just a bunch of noise.” These are the words of Tami Heim and Toni Birdsong of Sticky Jesus.
They asked a question that caught my attention:
Are you a good listener online?
Sticky Jesus gives 13 ways to be a good listener online.
- Pray daily before logging on.
- Empty your heart of any expectation.
- Allow the Holy Spirit to lead
Visit Sticky Jesus for the rest of this great post here…
by | Life Application
I’ve been inspired by Alece to find that one word that will sum up my 2011. I am so over making New Year’s Resolutions, because I have learned that every day is a new day for a new resolution.
How could I sum up 2010 with one word? Restored
Restored means to return to its original or usable and functioning condition; return to life; give or bring back; restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken. That exactly what happened in 2010 – God put back together what was broken.
With that said, my One Word for 2011 is:
TRUTH
sincerity in action, character, and utterance.
In 2011 I want to…
Speak truth to the broken about who they are in Christ
Speak truth to those who don’t yet know the love of Jesus Christ
Speak the truth of God’s Word
Hear and be receptive to the truth of others
Believe the truth of the plans God has for me
Let my actions speak truth, not just my words
Lead in truth
Follow the truth
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32
What’s your One Word for 2011?
by | Life Application
I have been doing this Time Management Bible Study with expert Christie Love for the past couple of weeks. Love said, “Each morning God deposits the same amount of time into the accounts of the most powerful CEO as he does for the humblest of the homeless. Time does not play favorites; it treats everyone with unbridled equality uninfluenced by power, work, or wealth.”
Then she asked a question that I have been thinking about for a while now.
How does it make you feel that we are each a person equal when it comes to time each day?
Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishing
The first person to come to mind when I was thinking about this question was Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers. The guy seems to have it all together, I thought to myself as I journaled my answer.
He is the CEO of the largest Christian publishing company in the world. Almost everytime he posts a blog, I find myself walking away thinking how I could better improve something in my life. He finds time to tweet. He travels and speaks in many different locations. Did I mention he runs a company? Somewhere in the day, he finds time to eat three meals a day I’m sure. He finds time to run. But most importantly, he finds the time to spend with his family.
I don’t really know anything about Michael, besides what I get through his blogs posts. But he seems to have it all together. He seems to manage his time well. And I don’t see that he hesitates to give the credit to God. Interesting.
We don’t all run a company. Some of us haven’t the first clue what a tweet it is. Some of us work a very simple 9 to 5 job. Some of us are just students. But the one thing we all have in common is the amount of time we get. 24 hours. Perhaps what makes us all different is the way our priorities are lined up.
This sums it up: If Michael Hyatt can do it, so can I.
How are you managing your time?
by | Faith Lived Out, Life Application
Change is consistent. It’s the one thing you can always count on. As Country singer Tracy Lawrence sings, “The only thing that stays the same is everything changes.” Change is all around us. Starbucks changed their logo. Facebook changed their new profile. Your latest and most up-to-date technology changes in an instant.
What does that do you for you? For me, it rocks my security boat. It takes me out of the control of my own situation and I start to get nervous. It rocked Peter’s security boat too. As the disciples stared at Jesus walking on the water their immediate reaction was “It’s a ghost!”
But Jesus said, “Take courage. It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
Peter followed Jesus’ instruction and got out of the boat with faith. But, when the wind came Peter got scared.
Don’t we all do that? We’re fine as long as the wind isn’t blowing. But, when the breeze comes in and the change starts to happen, we freak out. I tend to anyway. I must learn, however, to embrace that change and trust that God is in the driver’s seat.
Let the wind blow and go with it, not toward it.
How are you dealing with change?
by | Life Application
How often do you quit after the first try? If not careful I can quickly find myself seeing a setback as
=
TO
failure
But I am learning that we only fail when we stop trying.
Donald trump was $990 million in debt before he finally became a “success.” Oprah Winfrey was tossed aside many times before becoming the world’s greatest talk show host, among many other things. (Okay, shoot me if you want, but the woman has done some amazing things, and I love her heart.) Married couples lose a child, but they don’t give up. People are told they will never walk again, then they do.
Something else I am learning: experiencing dissapointments will work out well in the end if you keep the confidence God has blessed you with and keep trying! Let failure be your friend.
1 Corinthians 15:58 says,
What are you doing to step out?
