How many people know your name?

Just for fun, stop for a minute and make a guesstimate. Think of family, friends, even acquaintances. How high did you get? One hundred? Two Hundred? Five Hundred? More? I imagine there are more than you think. Now think about a time when you were surprised to find out someone knew your name. Perhaps it was in high school when you were made aware of a certain young man/woman who knew who you were. Or as an adult someone you admired at a social event or in the workplace.

With the popularity of Facebook and other social media more and more people may discover your name. Your “friends” list expands and more people find you through social networking. Whether it’s a long-lost friend or someone whom you’ve never met there is a certain curiosity when that balloon pops up and someone asks you to “friend” them.

There can be a certain thrill to finding out someone new knows your name. And I think sometimes we find a bigger thrill when that person knows many other people. There’s something about being known in the midst of a crowd that validates us or makes us feel important.

But do you know what I think is even more thrilling? The one who knows the names of billions of people (yes, that’s billions with a “b”!) knows your name! 

And the LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”  Exodus 33:17

Just as He told Moses, God, who created the universe and each person in it knows your name and He’s happy about that! God doesn’t know your name because of a mutual friend or because you did something remarkable. He knows your name because He created you!

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place,
   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
   all the days ordained for me were written in your book
   before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,God!
   How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
   they would outnumber the grains of sand—
   when I awake, I am still with you.   Psalm 139:13-18

God didn’t create you just to exist, but to do something special for Him that only you can do.

You may feel unremarkable – You’re not.

You may think you’re not good enough – You are.

You are perfect for exactly what God has for you today. Don’t compare yourself to the others around you, and don’t allow yourself to feel insignificant. Whether your part today is big or small, you have an important part to play that only you can accomplish.

I was reminded this weekend of a great quote from the movie Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium¹

“Your life is an occasion ~ rise to it!”

The important part of life is not the number of people who know your name, it’s that the One who loves you more than anyone on earth knows your name and has important things for you to do today.

Look for what God has planned for you today, reaching out to others, praying, or mopping floors. Whatever your part is today, If you don’t do it because you don’t think it’s important enough or glamorous enough, a peace will be missing in the puzzle of life.

blessings and peace to you today…

Paula

footnotes: ¹en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Magorium’s_Wonder_Emporium

I was watching “The Kennedy Center Honors” the other night. Bill Cosby was introducing Sonny Rollins, a remarkable jazz saxophone player. One statement struck me especially. Mr. Cosby said, “Like all great artists, Sonny was reaching for something more…searching, challenging.”

As the new year dawns I find myself dreaming. Maybe you do to. We dream about what could be and how we’d like to see our lives. We paint pictures in our heads and on our hearts of what we could do “if only”.

Cosby’s words made me pause in my dreaming for a moment. Instead of pondering “if only” I began to ask “what if”….

What if Sonny Rollins had only dreamed of being as good as the jazz artists of his youth? What if Benjamin Franklin had been content to only fly kites on sunny spring days? What if David had allowed fear to keep him from facing Goliath?

These people, and many others like them had something in common:

They REACHED – refusing to keep their feet on the ground they reached deep inside of them for the faith to believe they could achieve in the midst of controversy, naysayers, even physical challenges. They reached beyond themselves for something greater.

They SEARCHED – each of them searched their hearts and believed in themselves and the power within them that allowed them to accomplish something that they couldn’t on their own. They searched for avenues that had not been explored before and then they went in the direction they discovered. Along the way they found what they were searching for, and probably more.

They CHALLENGED – although at times I’m sure their heads were telling them to quit and whispering that they would never accomplish what they were reaching for they continued to challenge the status quo. They challenged themselves to go after their dreams even when they weren’t sure they still believed in them.

What are your dreams?

What if you went after your dreams to make them come true?

While there are some dreams that we can’t really have control over (winning a new car/house/lots of money, etc), when our dreams line up with our gifts and God’s desires for us, they can become a reality. However, just dreaming about them won’t do it. Like all of the great musicians, artists and inventors we must be willing to reach, search and challenge ourselves and those around us who rain on our parade.

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

Proverbs 16:3

When we commit our dreams to the Lord and have faith that He will show us the way and then are ready and willing to do the work involved to follow His plans, we will see them come true.

I encourage you as I have challenged myself to stop only dreaming and start praying. And as you are led, start making plans. Then, don’t give up!

Keep reaching

   Keep searching

      Keep challenging

          …and watch your dreams come true.

If you’re willing, share with us what you’re dreaming of so that we can encourage you and pray for you as you go after your dreams. 

I’ll be praying for you, and to borrow the words of David in Psalm 20:4-5:

May he give you the desire of your heart
   and make all your plans succeed.
May we shout for joy over your victory
   and lift up our banners in the name of our God.

May the LORD grant all your requests.

blessings and peace to you,

Paula

As 2011 comes to a close we are surrounded by all kinds of lists and reviews in every media outlet. From year-in-review issues of magazines to the top songs on the radio and top news or entertainment stories, the end of the year begs us as a society to look back at year that’s fading before our eyes. 

Many of us also look back at the passing year and do some evaluating of our own. We examine the ups and downs, the events that took place and the challenges we conquered, or perhaps we feel, conquered us.

Unfortunately many of us look back with a very critical eye on our personal year in review. I know I tend to glance over the good things that happened with a slight smile but stop and dwell longer on the things that weren’t what I hoped they would be. Too often I don’t give myself enough credit for all that I did well or the progress I made even if I didn’t reach all the goals I set for myself.

So this year I’m making a resolution, not or the new year but for today…and tomorrow, and each day that I look back and examine the past.

I resolve to look at things a little differently. I resolve whenever possible to put a positive spin on things that I feel like I didn’t accomplish. Some might say that I’ll look for the silver lining in the storm clouds.

For example, I had a goal to lose more than 50 pounds in 2011. I did lose a little weight but I didn’t reach my goal. In fact, I didn’t come close to that goal. In years past I would spend weeks dwelling on my failure and wallowing about it, probably consuming large amounts of chocolate to make myself feel better.

However this year I’m making a different choice. I’m choosing to see how much I did accomplish even without reaching the ultimate goal. I learned a lot this year about my eating habits and choosing healthy options. I learned that I can deal with stress and boredom without the help of chocolate. And by the end of the year I had developed a routine of exercise that will help me reach towards a new goal in 2012. So even though I’m not as thin and healthy as I’d hoped to be I’m further along than I was a year ago!

Does any of this resonate with you? Is it easy for you to see the sliver lining in other people’s clouds but only see the gray in your own? Maybe this year we can make the change together. Here are some ideas:

1. Begin by writing down the things you are reviewing in your mind. Make two lists, one for the good you see and one for the things you perceive as negative.

2. Spend some quality time with the good list thanking God for each thing you see as positive. Keep this list around. When you’re feeling down throughout the coming weeks and months and can’t remember the good things take a look back at your list.

3. Now take the list of things you’re not so pleased with. Break this list down and examine them one at a time for positives and things that can teach you something. Like my weight loss goal, maybe there are things that you can use to create new goals for the new year. If there’s absolutely nothing positive to be found, cross it out and move forward. Put it behind you just as you will put 2011 behind you.

Examination is a very healthy exercise but if it only leads to beating ourselves up and feeling badly about who we are it does us no good. Using what we’ve learned from our examination to put the old behind us and move forward with hope towards the future will bring peace to the puzzles of our lives.

Wishing each of you blessings and peace as you end 2011 and looking forward to growing and sharing with you in 2012.

Paula

We live in such an instant society!  I think we often expect solutions to all our “issues” quickly.

Take for instance my recent decision to get serious about exercise, eating healthy and losing weight. This week I did well. I counted calories and stopped at the “right” number each day. I exercised most days, and some days twice! I drank more water and tried to get more sleep. So today when I headed toward the scale I actually wasn’t dreading it. I stepped on, waited….

for nothing!

There was a 0 where I expected to see a minus sign. All that work, and nothing to show for it! I was ready to give up, throw in the towel and find myself a hot fudge sundae! It was clear I couldn’t make this work!

Before the real wallowing began I stopped and gave this some serious thought. I wasn’t really thinking about what I could have done differently this week, but about my reaction to the outcome. Just because what I saw on the scale wasn’t what I wanted doesn’t mean I failed this week.

This week I learned things about myself and my habits that I didn’t realize before. I made progress in setting an exercise schedule, and began to think differently about food. The problem isn’t what I did all week as much as in my expectations.

We are so used to instant contact via e-mail or cell phone, instant food via drive-through or microwave, instantly watching any program we want via internet or digital cable and so on. I think perhaps we also tend to expect instant change and instant solutions to all of our problems. We forget that learning something new takes time and practice.

Think of athletes, musicians, or chefs whom you admire for their abilities.Look up their biographies and learn what it took for them to get to where they are today. I guarantee it wasn’t instant, but their passion for what they were looking toward was strong enough that they didn’t give up. They kept at it, no matter how long it took.

We won’t find instant success either. We will have times when we feel we aren’t making progress and probably times when we take steps backwards. But this doesn’t mean we are failures, simply that we are learning. And giving up won’t get us any closer to what we’re after. Keeping at it will.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1b-2

Even Jesus had to endure 30 years of life on earth and then the shame of the cross before He could reach His Heavenly destination. He made it and so will we, if we don’t give up!

So whatever you’re facing today, whatever your race is, keep at it. Keep going, and keep your eyes on Jesus. He will give you the strength and the wisdom you need not only to finish, but to win!

blessings and peace to you today!

Paula

Another long day has finally come to an end. You lay your head on the pillow and think, “Today was such an amazing day. I have such a perfect life!”. What? Not your average day? Maybe you can’t remember the last time you had that thought.

Some of you believe your life is so far from perfect that you’ll never see perfection in your lifetime.

But maybe I can help you see it a little differently.

Most of us would define perfection as follows:

a: being entirely without fault or defect :flawless <a perfect diamond>

b: satisfying all requirements :accurate 

These definitions are certainly accurate and I would agree that they are impossible to achieve in our earthly lives. We can’t satisfy all the requirements that each day holds, and living in a sinful world we can’t possibly be flawless. But there’s another definition that caught my eye:

d : faithfully reproducing the original; specifically : letter-perfect

Now THAT is reachable perfection, even in our earthly lives! For we have a perfect example to follow and emulate. When Jesus Christ left a perfect Heaven and came to earth to live as a man He faced stuggles just like ours and never sinned. As we faithfully follow Jesus we also become perfect. 

We also have promises from God’s word:

Hebrews 10:5 tells us: “For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”

When we allow Christ to work through us we have His promise that we are perfect. In His eyes we are already perfect as we trust in Him and allow Him to make us holy.

James 1:17 tells us: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

The perfection God promises us doesn’t mean that every day will be a great day by earthly standards.

The perfection God promises doesn’t mean that we won’t struggle.  

But the perfection God promises means that when we lay our heads on the pillow each night we can be satisfied that in His eyes we are already perfect.

And that’s a peace we all can use at the end of another long day.

blessings!

Paula