September left me with lots to ponder.
My thoughts are being stirred as I remember the words of the speakers I was privileged to be exposed to and the authors who seemed to know just what I needed to hear.
For me, the recordings in my journal, my Bible, and a cup of coffee are just the ingredients I need to let these thoughts percolate and sink into the fabric of my being.
I’ve penned over 25 one-liners from September in my journal that I want to remember; 25+ one-liners that relate to my now and are helping me untangle current realities. I wonder if some of these will stir your thoughts and speak to your reality.
The top seven, in no specific order:
- When we allow people to help us, they become more emotionally involved than when we try to help them. I’m thinking about our neighbors and wanting to reach out to them. When was the last time I allowed my needs to be known?
- God doesn’t do old; God is a God of the new. Why do I sometimes want to hang on to the old, the familiar and are so fearful of trusting God with something new? How often have I quoted Lamentations 3:22 and 23, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (bolding mine) If God mercies are continually new, why do I want to find comfort in the old?
- There is a difference between mimicking and knowing. And I’m thinking there is a difference between knowing truth and trusting truth. How do I move from knowledge to trust?
- If you lose your story, you lose your identity. How many times have I wanted to forget part of my story? Stories keep truth alive. When I forget my story, I am taking away part of the miraculous God has worked in my life; the miraculous that others just might need to hear.
- Older woman still need older woman. Who are the older woman who I need to be listening to at this point? How can I make that happen?
- When I think of time, I naturally am also thinking of limits. When I think of eternity, I think of freedom, of space. When Jesus teaches me to pray, he says, “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. Matthew 6:10. There is enough time for God’s will. “… and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus …” Hebrews 12:1 and 2. Hmmm, not looking to my calendar or my watch, but looking to Jesus! What might his wisdom be?
- As much as I love the ministry God has opened for us (for me) through travel, I also desire to minister in a local context. I’ve asked others what that might look like. But have I asked God, what would it look like to be involved locally at this stage of my life?
Thank you to Darrell Sanders, Randy Raysbrook, Jean Fleming, and the Holy Spirit for stimulating my thinking.
Do you identify with any of the above thoughts? What is stimulating your thinking these days?
“Brothers, do not be children in your thinking.
Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.”
I Corinthians 14:20
As I read over my post looking for typos one last time late this morning, I couldn’t help but laugh!
We arrived home from a week in Singapore last night after 17 hours on planes, lay-overs, and crossing the date line. We left at breakfast time in Singapore and arrived in San Francisco at breakfast time. Somehow there was not a night between those two breakfasts.
So when I rolled over and looked at my bedside clock this morning, the 11:15 a.m. time surprised me (I guess it really shouldn’t have). But the thought that went swimming through my mind, ‘only 45 minutes to become aware of those new morning mercies today’. See my second point above.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
love, sue
I’m new to your blog and first of all wanted to say hello as a fellow sister in Christ!
On #2, I think sometimes we want to find comfort in the old things because we idolize them in some way. Maybe in our finite wisdom we think that we’ve already arrived and don’t need to change in that one aspect of our lives when God in his better wisdom sees how he will use the change to make us look more like him.
Your thoughts in #4 were also very thought-provoking and convicting. For the past few months, I’ve been trying to forget a guy I knew in college for the reason that I liked him and thought we could have a long-term relationship when he neither knew nor expressed interest in me other than being friends. Yet as much as I want to forget him in that part of my life, he still played a major influence in my life story. God also used that situation to draw me closer to himself and your words made me realize that I was trying to ignore that season of growth and closeness to the Lord as I was trying to forget this guy.
I also enjoyed reading your other five top thoughts, but those in particular really stuck with me. 🙂
Hi Emily,
I’m so glad to “meet” you! And I’m looking forward to growing our friendship.
WOW! You blessed my socks off this morning. It is so encouraging to hear how God works in the lives of others. You seem very in tune with the Holy Spirit. I’ll be praying for you. AND, I know your words will also minister life to others.
Happy weekend,
sue