This time of season is when we all reflect and think about what the year has looked like. For example at work, we usually have an Environmental Audit that we work all year to maintain our system and I look back at all the training we have done for the year with our associates and I am like wow....tremendous.
Year End Review time, not a favorite for many, but it is if you have a been working all year at Creating a Better Story than your last year. If you have taken your performance to another level. If you have actions and achievements to show growth.
Next is in your family. Can you see growth in them in their understanding of where God is in their lives? Do they understand the wonderful grace of Christ? Everything else is the world comes distant second. If they have a focus on Christ it is as the bible says in Proverbs the first step to wisdom. Everything else then has it's place in their lives. School, activities, friends, enemies. etc.
And for you? Can others see Christ in you? as Jesus said in Mark 12:28-30, Love God, Love People. then it all flows from there. Making sure that you don't drift from the true message of Christ (Hebrews 2:1) because it is easy to drift. Paul lost Demas to the world. This morning in our Bible Study a brother shared about a man and his wife in the ministry and how they had strayed from the ministry, now the family is separated and the man is asking for prayer for God to repair the damage. He can but it will take time.
Are you Creating a Better Story in everything you touch that passes your desk? This year I have to tell you it has been a blessing to think that way and to think how can this get better? It has created more work but neat stuff. From projects at work around performance to starting a Book Club and actually having the author meet with our group by phone to discuss what they had learned. I set a full morning in December to prayer and then planning in my areas of responsibility and then sketch the highpoints of the next year in those responsible areas and then with family and church. It is a very good time, then revisit it in January to start dates to get things done.
I look back at the things God has brought into my life this year and am just in awe. Having accepted Jesus into my heart at Promise Keepers in 1995 has changed my life, what I consider important. God has opened doors and given me opportunities I can never thank Him enough for. I am wanting to make 2011 a better year no matter what the circumstances as it is another year that I can listen to Him and follow Him.
So here are some questions for you and I to ponder:
How do you spend more time in the word? when is the best time to study scripture? Memorize verses? Pray? How is your quiet time? Who holds you accountable? How are do you know if your pursuit of holiness is changing you? Can you tell in how you respond to people? Do you see that it is more about others and not you? That is about dying to self? What a challenge! What a great challenge! But He is worthy of helping you to do those things. He is more than able.
Back to Thanksgiving, friends started this at a church I attended years ago where we would all take a few pieces of Indian Corn and then talk about what we are thankful for from that year.
I encourage you to do to this with your family. Take time to share with each other. Take a friend to lunch and talk about it with them to encourage them. Remember as Truitt Cathy of ChickFila says," When do people need encouragement?, if they are breathing they need it!"
What are you thankful for this year? Where are you struggling in the list of things above? Let Him know what you are thankful for, then make the list and set your goals. Divide them in to steps that you can do one at a time. How do you plan to tell a Better Story of your life, a Better Story about Christ in your work? in your family? Pray and set goals for 2011 now. Be intentional. Be serious about your growth and dependency on God. He is wanting to guide you more and more if you let Him. He loves to do that. He knows this world is tough, he knows that it is fallen. He also has a better plan than you and I could ever dream of, but He can't do anything unless you let Him lead and ask Him to do that.
Reading File: Speaking of listening, have picked up Bill Hybels new book, "The Power of a Whisper," and looking forward to that. Hope to finish before Thanksgiving.
This newest issue of Fortune Magazine was excellent. So was Fast Company.
Reading thru the book of John for bible study class. "In the beginning was the word of and the Word was with God and the word was God." Thankful for my bible teacher Ed Fleming and his love of teaching the word of God.
May God Bless you. It is my hope and prayer that this blog encourages you to seek more about Jesus Christ. Hebrews 13:8
