Inspiration Comes in Many Forms

Sometimes writers wait until they have a spark of inspiration or an incident that prompts them to scribble ideas, plans, plots or thoughts. For me inspiration comes with a bird song, my puppy tugging the leash, or that bit of scripture that I am struggling to memorize. Inspirational thoughts are everywhere and like a child with a butterfly net it is our job to catch them and weave them into a poem, song, essay, or story. I am so blessed to have friends who do this on a daily basis. They will tell you that inspiration is how you look at the world not what the world drops in your lap. My mini sermon for the day.

Decisions that make a Difference

There are times in our lives when we wonder, what difference does it make?  When this happens to me I ruminate about "the road not taken."   What if I had gone to college here?  married this person?  Had more children?  Joined the military?  And on it goes.

Just one glance around my office lets me know that what I have is precious.  I can't imagine any other life than this one.  With my loving spouse, wonderful children, and extraordinary grandchildren I can only say thank you to the One who entrusted me with this gift.

13 Decisions That Will Change Your Life will only enrich your circumstances.  Look for it to challenge, uplift, and maybe even help you decide to take that risk or change that behavior.  

Spiritual Identity Theft

Often we don't think of decisions in conjunction with our identity.  But how we view ourselves is very important to our spiritual growth.  Christ died so that we could become children of God.  Our identity is tied up with His death, burial, and resurrection. 

If you need a boost for your ego, read Ephesians especially the first part of the book where Paul tells us what we have inherited from our Father.  Throughout the book he exhorts us to live as children of the light and finishes is off with reminding us of the armor God has provided.

Read it over and over until you believe it. Don't let the Evil One take away your place in the family.  The deceiver want to steal your credentials and leave you stranded, but we have identity that can't be stolen, can't be sold, lost, or forfeited.  Our identity is with Christ.

Make a decision to conduct yourself as one that has been bought with a price more extravagant than the world has ever known - the blood of the Maker.

Barriers to Love

When I started writing 13 Decisions that will Change Your Life, I hadn't considered how many barriers there were to unconditional love.  As it turns out, there are many.  More seem to rear their heads every day.

Love is curtailed by distrust or mistrust.  We've all experienced betrayal and the bitterness it leaves.  Love is unable to live in an atmosphere of unforgiveness.  Roots of  malice burrow into our lives and take years of diligence to get rid of.

Love closely related to joy and a zest for living.  Neither is possible if a scimitar is poised over our head.  Purging grudges, putting away hard feelings, and defusing feuds unbars the road to love.  Unfortunately cleared pathways don't always stay clear, so this demolition must be a constant chore.   Don't put off your spring cleaning so love can blossom. 

Decide to Embrace Failure

In a poem by T. H. Palmer, the writer beckons, "Tis a lesson you should need, If at first you don't succeed, Try, try again;  Then your courage should appear, for it you will persevere, You will conquer never fear.  Try, try again."

In the business of writing and publishing, rejections come in bunches.  Once I won an award at our writers' group for having the most rejections (200).  My  husband only encourages, you can paper your writing studio with them. 

But rejections hurt, discourage, and can become personal.  The editors don't want that beautiful essay and won't publish your delightful humor column.  When I feel like trashing the whole writing gig, I remember a comment by a friend, "No doesn't mean never."

Editors may not want my scribblings now, but in future perhaps these same individuals will be asking for a guest editorial or article.  Keep your chin up.  Decide to embrace failure.  Try.  Try again.

Generosity is Contagious

My grandmother was a giver.  I never left her little country farmhouse without a sack of tomatoes or jars of jelly.  She wasn't rich in material wealth but she wanted to give. Giving expressed her love.  I wonder if we think of that when we write a check to the church or share with someone in need.  Giving can salve our conscience because it's the right thing to do.  But perhaps we should reread the story in Luke 21.  Jesus commends the widow for her tiny gift because "she gave all she had to live on."  She supposedly went unnoticed but gifts done for the right motive don't go unnoticed.  The decision to be generous will change your life and the lives of those around you.

Be Generous

People love to get stuff, especially free stuff.  Americans are famous for their big cars, big houses, big food portions, big everything.  But I wonder if that is true of our hearts.  We tend to be generous with everything but ourselves.  I am putting myself on the hook too.  It is easier to be generous with a few dollars than with myself or my time.  Chapter 6 of 13 Decisions That Will Change Your Life introduces some folks you don't know but their generosity will inspire your life.

Hands Up!

To most individuals in our society, surrender is a dirty word.  For the month of  August I hope to persuade you that surrender does not mean giving up.  I devote an entire chapter to this subject in 13 Decisions That Will Change Your Life.  God often uses situations, people, and yes even loss to get out attention and convince us of the need to surrender.  Even a peek into the Old and New Testament reveals Deborah's surrender to leadership, Saul's rebellion to surrender,  David's up and down attitude toward surrender.  But of course Jesus' surrender is the most magnificent of all. Anything less pales before that example.  How are you doing with surrender today?

Satan's Toolbox

Everyone has a resource they pull from.  Writers read voraciously and persuade, create worlds, motivate, or make us laugh.  Carpenters use their hammers, planes, and blueprints to fashion cathedrals. 

Satan is like that.  But he isn't clever enough to use innovative methods.  Instead he digs into our conscious and subconscious minds, invades our dreams, and finds enough emotional baggage to be a guilt trip agent.

Don't fall for it.  Let your toolbox be filled with love, peace, and joy.

Tale of Two Guilt Trips

David was a king.  He has everything he could ever want.  But that wasn't enough.  He wanted a woman who belonged to another.  He devised a crafty plan, murdered the husband, and took Bathsheba.  He paid a hefty price for his sin, but guilt led to repentance and restoration.

Judas was a disciple.  He was treasurer of the "in" group.  But that wasn't enough.  He needed recognition.  He devised a crafty plan, betrayed Jesus, and paid a hefty price for his sin -  suicide.

Two men, two sins, different endings.

Pursue Patiently

Many wonderful things in life come only after we patiently wait for them.  Children come to mind. We plan, prepare, and wait for our little ones. They are worth the wait.

The dream house we save for is finally ours after years of sacrifice.  The promotion comes only after our performance reaches a peak.

And so it is with most things.  Pursue patiently what your heart desires.  Celebrities who are an overnight success worked at their craft for many years.  And when the accolades come, enjoy but don't forget to pass that grace along to another.

Packing Lunches

My grandson woke his mom early with "Mom, Mom - today is the day!"

 "What day?"

"The day we take food to the kids, get up, they are probably waiting on us!

 Where did we lose the sincere, innocent heart of a child?  Hunger is all around us even in the most sophisticated suburb.  When young ones like my grandsons are aware, we should be too.  Service like love, peace, and joy begins in the heart.

Do You Ever Wonder?

Please tell me that I am not the only one who pauses and thinks what would happen if?   I know all writers do especially the novelists among us.  But what about the others?  What would have happened if I had married someone else or not married at all?  Had 4 children or no children?  Moved to Hawaii or been a missionary to Japan? 

Lots of choices and most of them are made when we are young maybe even just out of high school or finishing college.  We decide who we will spend our life with and what we will spend it doing.  These are important decisions.  13 Decisions That Will Change Your Life and 13 Decisions That Will Change Your Marriage can help.

Childlikeness Shall Lead Us

If you want an example of forgiveness, watch little children.  For the first few minutes, children who play together are best friends.  They share the toys.  They smile and even laugh at the antics of the other.  They cooperate freely up to a point. If no one intervenes (like an adult or another child) this scenario may rock along for some time.

But inevitably there comes a scream, a thwack, or a tattling child and we are off.  Separate the kids.  Make them give over the coveted toy.  Put in time out or send to their room.  And the dynamic will come full circle.

In a few minutes, the children will be saying "sorry", begging to play, and embracing each other as well as the moment.  They don't even remember why the conflict began, why they had to apologize, or what "time out" was for.  They have completely forgiven and along the way forgotten the heinous action that led to the punishment.

Adults on the other hand have learned to harbor that grudge, put on a game face, and build barriers in our hearts toward the one who hurt us.  We say the right things but in our inner being, we will never forgive and certainly not forget.  We become a little like Dr. Seuss' Grinch and our heart shrinks until it is "two sizes too small."

Today I resolve to become a little more childlike (not childish) and scrub the slate clean.  It is the 2nd decision in 13 Decisions That Will Change Your Life and one you won't regret.