2020: CHERISH THE DAY

Hi There!

I pray your weekend has gone well

And hope you are enjoying a relaxing evening –

My weekend has been one of rest and relaxation.

I watched the conclusion of one of the most interesting series I have watched in a while.

It is a Korean drama, simply entitled, Chocolate

Now – I am not generally a crier [not for movies anyway]

However – this show has brought me to tears more times than I can count

But – I love it!

And – it was this show which inspired me to write today

Although – I am trying to work on writing on a more regularly scheduled basis

I still struggle with writing when I do not have something absolutely pressing on my heart

What can I say? That process – and myself in general – are still a work in progress

In any event, and without giving out the end of the show,

I would like to share a quote from the show which grabbed my attention.

The context of the quote is not completely relevant –

                Because the quote has the ability to stand on its own merit

Standing on a beach, with the waves crashing in the background, one of the characters makes this poignant declaration:

“As if today is your last day,
and as if you know that this moment will never return,
cherish  every single moment that comes by ladies and gentlemen.
The day you wasted today –
is the tomorrow that someone who died yesterday so badly wished for.”
~Tae-Hyun

This touched me intensely and immensely.

It touched me because it is all about the value of life.

It touched me because it is something that I am realizing is so vitally important;

It is something that I know I need –

this need to value the days which the LORD blesses me with

It is something where I am developing a keen awareness of the need for – intention.

You see, making the most of each day will not happen by accident.

I must make a choice to focus on the people and things that matter most.

I must make a choice to appreciate the people who the LORD has blessed me with. 

Psalm 90:12 says,

‘Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom’

I know, from scripture, that our life is but a vapor and then we are gone. [James 4:14]

Therefore, each day is a special and precious gift – one which must be protected.

I am learning how to better establish & maintain healthy boundaries –

And, I am finding there a few things I value as much as peace in my life.

Even so – it is all a process – one which I noted earlier is a work in progress.

And, I hope to get in some meaningful practice over the next few days.

I am off work this entire week.

I am taking some time – just for me.

And, I intend to make the most of every day and the opportunities they present.

Spending time with the LORD, spending time with my sons, spending time with my Mom;

Spending time with me and for me –

Writing in my journal, counting my blessings, reflecting on the things that make me smile

I pray that you will make some time as well –

                Time to focus on the people and things which truly matter to you

Tomorrow is not promised to any of us

Therefore, we must live, laugh and love – every opportunity we have

                Counting as blessings the things which make us smile,

                Being a blessing by helping others to find a reason to smile.

I pray you have a blessed evening and an amazing week!

God Bless & Much Love

THANKS GIVING 2019: TIME

Good Evening Friends!

I pray your day went well

 Mine?

It was busy – but productive – so I’ll take it!

Some days it feels like there is simply not enough TIME

Not enough hours in the day  … but that was not the case today

I am actually reclined in my bed writing this post.

The older I get – the more I am learning

To appreciate quiet moments of solitude like this moment right here.

Time is a precious commodity.

It is one of the few things you can NEVER get back once it is used 

I guess that is why I have always been so thankful –

for family, friends and mentors who have made time for me

They have given the most precious gift one human being can grant to another

Therefore, I always do my level best to ensure it is an investment of time and not just an expenditure 

I also make it a point - within my power and as often as possible - to PAY IT FORWARD 

This is easy to do with people you absolutely adore. However, it requires a bit more effort to extend the same courtesy to those who may not be at the top of your ‘My Favorite People’ list. It is harder still for those who do not appreciate your time or who take it for granted.

HOWEVER –

I cannot recall a single time I have regretted [truly regretted] being kind to someone 

I will not say it does not cost you anything 

IT DOES COST A GREAT DEAL

But it is usually worth it.

You never know the difference you make in another person’s life - with just the simplest gesture 

I thank God for the time He grants me daily - to keep positively impacting my tiny little sphere of influence 

IT IS SUCH A BLESSING!

Praying that you will make the most of the time you have ... and,

Praying that you will have a truly blessed evening!

God Bless!

PRIORITIES & OPTIONS

Hi Friends!

I pray your week is off to a great start … almost to the mid-point already!

The heavens just opened up here in Virginia Beach and it is POURING!

Today was absolutely lovely with temperatures in the eighties

And now – it is 65-degrees … a 17-degree drop in half an hour

Tonight’s post is something that has been pressing on my heart for a couple of weeks now.

Yet I have wrestled with writing this …

In part, because I am fighting [and sometimes failing] to do it successfully.

You see – there is a saying which has been gaining popularity lately

I have seen pastors post it, I’ve seen it on social sites, and I have heard it in discussions

The saying?

‘Never make someone a priority in your life while you are still an option in theirs’

It sounds good when it is put out there into the atmosphere;

And please do not misunderstand me – I know the intention behind some people saying it

They are pressing the point that you should not become a doormat … for anyone;

And you absolutely should not!

However, especially when I hear this exact saying [or something similar] voiced in Christian circles

I have to ask myself, ‘Is this seeming good saying, this ‘good thing’ a God thing’?

For the answer, I can only look to my Savior for guidance

And, when I do this, 

I cannot cosign to this emerging view of PRIORITIES and OPTIONS

You see –

If I look to my Savior, my LORD and King, Jesus Christ –

I see One who made me a PRIORITY in His life while He was still an OPTION in mine.

‘While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us’ Romans 5:8

‘Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in our transgressions’ Ephesians 2:4

Now – I am not saying there are not times when my flesh rises up;

There are times when I want to treat people exactly the way they treat me [and have]

However – I am finding more and more lately that there is an inner press

His Holy Spirit keeps telling me to release everything that is not like Him

Not that I have attained this goal … far from it!

However, I will continue to press toward this goal; to avoid doing things out of selfish ambition; to be humble and esteem others more highly than myself [Phil. 2:3}; to continue to make every effort to love others … the way Christ has loved me.

Praying You Have a Blessed Evening

‘But to you who are listening I say:  Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.’

Luke 6:27-28

ALL I WANT

ALL I WANT –

These are the words that I have been reflecting on lately

You see – the past few weeks have been filled with ‘MORE’

Praying More …

Reading the Word More …

Meditating More …

AND –

Listening to Music More …

Yet, something is happening in all of the self-assessment and meditation:

I find myself zeroing in on certain verses, and words … on phrases and ideas

With respect to music, that phrase ‘All I Want’ has been a cause of deep reflection

It is a key phrase in a song that keeps showing up in my playlist – Let Praises Rise –

It is not a new song. However, it is a very passionate song performed by a musical assembly & community of artistic individuals – ORU Worship Center.

I’ve listened to this song over and over –

Focusing intently on its message of not wanting anything but the LORD and for Him to be glorified,

I have had to ask myself, ‘Is He all I want? Do I only desire that He be glorified?’

NOW –

I would like to say that I am that spiritual

YET –

The truth of the matter is there are so many other things I often find myself wanting

• I would like for the storms to come to an end
• I would like all that has been stolen to be returned
• I would like to rescue my mom from her current conditions
• I would like to see healing manifest in my life and in the lives of those I love

HOWEVER –

With increasing frequency and intensified desire,

I find the words of that song truly resonating on the inside of me,

“Fill my life ‘til all they see is You LORD … Glorify Your Name”

“Fill my heart ‘til all they see is You LORD … Glorify Your Name”

YES –

If none of those things I would like actually manifest in the manner or timeframe that I would like

YET WILL I PRAISE HIM

ONE DAY –

I will get to a place where it will not take extreme circumstances to get me to this place

I will move beyond a place of visitation to a place of habitation

A LIFE TRULY AND ENTIRELY SURRENDERED

I will be like those heavenly beings around the throne of GOD who cry out continually,

“Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY – who was, and is, and is to come” Revelation 4:8

THERE WILL COME A TIME –

Night and day, without interruption – where I can sing that song without duplicity,

‘ALL I WANT IS FOR YOU, FOR YOU TO BE GLORIFIED … FOR YOU TO BE LIFTED HIGH’

BUT TODAY –

I will embrace where I am presently

‘ALL I WANT’ is my heart cry today.

I do not know if it will be my heart cry tomorrow,

Or how much of tomorrow it will occupy my inner being

BUT THIS I KNOW …

“I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Philippians 3:12

EVERY MOMENT –

As often as opportunity and unction arise, I will let praises rise!

I Pray You Have a Tremendously Blessed Evening!

Zenobia

juggling act...

An acquaintance of mine asked a great question several days ago: 'To anyone who has had a "mentor" in their life....What is the most important thing that he or she taught you?"

She probably doesn't realize it but she unofficially mentors many and does it in the best way by asking questions that make people think. Her question certainly made me think as I reflected on a lesson my former manager/mentor taught me some time ago. The year was 2003 and I had just been promoted to unit manager. He was my boss when I was a supervisor and assumed the role of mentor once I transitioned into the new job. His words of wisdom?

'You are now at a place where you have a great deal of responsibility, 'many balls in the air'. Understand that eventually, one will drop .... MAKE SURE IT'S NOT THE GLASS ONE!

I thought he was teaching me a business principle. Turns out he was teaching me a life principle. And, through all of the ups and downs and twists and turns, the balancing and juggling act called life - there are several balls which indeed have dropped ... all except the glass one. 

That glass ball, well, it represents my faith in God and commitment to His principles. I have learned that many things can drop: some will bounce so that you can grab hold of them again and some will fall and roll away. Yet this one ball has remained.

Don't allow its description to fool you. While it is the glass ball, it is by no means fragile. Yet it is of ultimate importance, which is why it cannot be dropped. It is foundational and can redeem any of the other balls of life which may get away from you.

How important is faith? Important enough for Jesus to tell Peter, 'I have prayed for you that your faith would not fail ...' (Lk. 22:32) And I believe He has prayed that same prayer for many of us. If we can hold onto faith, it will take care of all the other 'balls'. Seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness, all other things shall be added as well. (Mt. 6:33)

Therefore,

'Let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering ...'

Hebrews 10:23

Let us cling unswervingly to this one thing, 'faith': in God, through Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Afterall, it is certainly much easier to hold onto one ball than it is to juggle fifty.

In this life, with all that we must manage, at least one ball will inevitably drop ... Make Sure It's Not the Glass One!