It’s easy for me to look back on my year and see the areas where I could have done better. If I spent more time working out I could’ve lost the extra weight I’ve been carrying around. Also, it’s a lot easier to write a book if I actually sit down at a computer to get my thoughts in order. The list goes on and on. I think hockey great Wayne Gretzky got it right when he said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” In reflection, I can see the places where I could have done things differently.
Thankfully, the calendar just turned the page to a new year. And, not only a new year, but a new decade! God established times and seasons when He created the world. Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years.” (Genesis 1:14, NLT) Long ago, He planned this very year, this very decade. Just imagine-20/20 vision for your future! Furthermore, who wouldn’t want to dream about beautiful days ahead?
God is planning something amazing for us in the coming days. “Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already–you can see it now! I will make a road through the wilderness and give you streams of water there.” (Isaiah 43:19, GNT) God is making a way for us when it looked like there wasn’t a way. Consequently, it’s time to start dreaming again! We are entering a new season. We need to wrap our minds around this: God is for us. He wants us to succeed. God says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor…” (2 Corinthians 6:2, NIV) Something good is on the horizon. Get a vision for it-and make it 20/20.
Things to do today:
- Dream big.
- Read a similar blog called ‘Great Expectations’ and listen to songs ‘Way Maker’ and ‘Future.’
My mom and I are getting ready to go on vacation. Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts are on the agenda. Consequently, we’ve been planning and preparing for quite some time. We perused travel brochures and picked specific activities for each state. I’ve wrote notes on cities we plan to visit, downloaded train and ferry schedules, and checked prices for the tours we wanted to take. On top of that, we booked an amazing hotel. I even checked the area weather and we packed our suitcases accordingly. How’s that for being prepared? (The Boy Scouts would be impressed!)
Why is it that whenever I run into Wal Mart with only one item needed I walk out with a cart full of things? Seriously, I go from a $10.00 item to spending over $100.00. It’s crazy, or ‘cray cray’ as my niece would say. The problem is I pick up things as I walk along, many times without much thought. I grab this and a little of that, and stock up here and refill something there…where does it stop? Let’s not even talk about the grocery section, because one item will always become 20. (I am not going to mention the things I grab when I walk into the store hungry…it’s not pretty…actually, I should probably just go undercover when this happens.) Needless to say, it would be better if I left all the ‘quick grab’ items and only picked up the good stuff.
Fall is one of my favorite seasons. There’s something about the vibrant colors that appeals to me. Some years fall sneaks in quietly, and other years it seems to arrive overnight. I call that a ‘suddenly’. That’s what happened with a group of mums I picked up for my church. They gave me a sneak-peek of their colors: speckled white, dappled orange, and dotted red. But guess what? A few days ago when I watered them, I saw that everything changed. The orange mums were loaded with flowers, the white ones were crammed with blossums, and the red mums were overflowing with crimson buds. I thought it would be a gradual process, but overnight the mums were fully dressed. A suddenly took place.
On a recent hiking trip out west, my friend and I decided to tackle a major climb, deceptively called ‘Angel’s Rest.’ It was a 4.8 mile roundtrip hike rising continuously to 1,640 feet. Someone had the nerve to call it a ‘moderate’ climb. (Tell that to my pounding heart.) . Unfortunately, from the onset we were challenged. The trail began with rocks covering the first switchback, forcing us to pick our way carefully to keep from stumbling. After an hour of a steady climb, we stopped regularly to let our lungs catch up. During the 2nd hour, we were fighting fatigue and shortness of breath. By the 3rd hour, if we looked up, the top of the mountain came into view. Yet we still had several switchbacks to get there. Despite the challenges, we finally made it to the top; the stunning view making the obstacles a distant memory.
At the Victorian Bed and Breakfast where I work, a festive wedding shower was scheduled. There were so many things to do to get ready for this event! We worked on the landscaping beds and the flower baskets, we swept and dusted the great room, the massive deck was power-washed, the tables were set, and the lunch was prepared. At the scheduled time, the happy guests came in carrying their colorful presents. There was only one problem: the bride-to-be wasn’t there. She was stuck in California, still trying to catch a plane to Ohio. Ever have one of THOSE days?
My family spent a fun week camping at my brother’s-swimming in the pool, fishing and tubing on Lake Erie, and visiting Kelly’s Island. My nephew Ben participated in every activity. Because of this, I learned a few simple lessons. Ben took his floatie off in water over his head so he could try swimming to his mom and grandma.