Unfinished Business

 "Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it," Anne Shirley said. 

"No mistakes in it yet," her teacher added. 

Though maybe not an exact quote, I've long remembered those wise 
words from one of the memorable scenes in Anne of Green Gables.  

It's true. Even though the day or year is new, we don't step into them 

empty-handed. 

I brought along some unfinished projects, others untouched and a list 

of undone good intentions. I carry them with me in hopes that this will 

be a year of doing. A year of finishing one thing and starting another.   

Write the last chapter of my book.

Twenty chapters written, edited and rewritten several times. Only one 

chapter pending, so why is it the hardest to write? You'd think a project 
95% done would be a breeze to complete. 

Start the series, yeah the one I've left on the back burner for years. 
Though it hasn't taken shape yet, it also hasn't faded. The concept still 
calls to me and therefore I believe God has a purpose for it.   

Send a picture to a little girl in India. 

We send support each month to help care for 9-year-old Yamunamma.
I've been meaning to send her a picture of our family and still haven't. 
How lame is that? 

Thankfully, God even tells us what to do about our lame neglect.

       "Strengthen the hands which hang down and the feeble knees, and make 
       straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated but 
       rather be healed" (Hebrews 12:12, 13).

By God's design, strength only comes by doing. And yet we don't do it 

in our own strength. When The Lord sent Zechariah to convince the 

Jews to finish building the temple, He reminded them, and us, how to 

get things done.

     
       "Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit says the Lord" (Zech. 4:10). 

The new Temple looked so much less than the elaborate one built by Solomon, the one Babylon destroyed. Even so, they set aside their
discouragement and picked up their hammers. In obedience to God 
they finished the simple Temple. Little did they know that Jesus 
would one day stand within those walls and fill the place with His 
glory and grace.  

We don't know which simple works of our hands God will use for His 
glory. We do know the enemy still throws discouragement at God's children. Whether 5% into the project or 95%, the devil pushes to 
stop our progress. What an excellent reason to pick up our hammers 
( i.e. laptop, pen, or camera) and get back to work.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some unfinished business to do.

  

  

Show and Tell

"Do you have to talk about God all the time?" My teenage daughter 
asked rolling her eyes.

"If I discovered a pile of diamonds wouldn't you want me to share 
them with you? That's how I feel about the Lord. He's my treasure 
and I want you to know Him too."

My first year as a Christian I couldn't help but talk about Jesus. And
in most circles, I'm not considered an outgoing person. God's abundant
living water tends to splash out. Still, many people think we ought to 
keep our Christianity to ourselves.

As an introvert I'd be just fine with that except for what's at stake and 
the many Scriptures encouraging us to do the opposite.

"Let the redeemed of the Lord say so" (Psalm 107:2)

"Let those who fear the Lord now say, "His mercy endures forever"    
                                                                          (Psalm 118:4)

"Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good 
works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5: 16)

Just a few of the many verses written to inspire us to share about
the greatest part of their lives, our relationship with Jesus. He wants
all people to accept the treasure He alone can offer, not just life here 
and now but life eternal. 

   

Priorities

I've been helping my husband, the contractor, on a project the last couple of weeks. My job, removing wallpaper from the kitchen and entry. While he's been insulating and hanging sheet rock I've been peeling, scraping and chipping away at sun-baked wallpaper. Just today I peeled off the last of it and thought, I'm sure glad I don't do this work for a living. At this rate I'd make about a dollar an hour.  

My thoughts rushed to my defense, Well, it's not like I've done this work before. I'd have to research how to do it efficiently and invest in equipment like a quality steamer. I'd also spend time doing it to gain experience. Sensible right? Then I stopped.     

Crowded into a corner by my own thoughts I had to admit I don't always pursue the things closest to my heart with as much zeal as I would 
wallpaper removal. That explains and illuminates a few things. Perhaps 
our dreams wouldn't remain so illusive if we made them a priority like we 
do with our work for money. 

      And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, 
         giving thanks to God the Father through Him" (Col. 3:17).  

Scripture calls us God's workmanship created for good works which He 
made in advance for us to pursue, for us to do. I don't know about 
you, but I too often neglect and misplace those "good works" while 
giving my thoughts and time to everything else. Sounds like another 
old year resolution in the making.

Though I've never wanted to go into the wallpaper business, I want to 
spend more time this year pursuing the good works God created with 
me in mind. I pray you will too. In so doing, we'll tell God thank You 
for those treasures He made just for us.       

Old Year Resolutions

I pulled down the old, scribbled calendar and stuffed it in a kitchen drawer near the trash can. Another year flown by. This first week of January reminds me of the one 12 months ago. I remember several resolutions as vividly as the day I made them. They spout off like kids on a school playground telling on me for not following through. I can’t defend myself because it’s true. Some I failed to finish, others I failed to start.  

It reminds me of the years I home-schooled our youngest daughter. The length of each school day was determined by the amount of work she accomplished. If she completed her lessons by noon, school let out early. Other times I’d call up the stairs, “Even though it’s four o’clock, you still have two pages of math to do. School is over when you finish your work.” One of the drawbacks of home-school, no bell to ring.

I have a feeling the Lord teaches by a similar policy. He doesn't set aside the lessons we need to learn just because we ignore them for a month, a year or a decade. The Creator of patience and perseverance encourages us to keep learning about His ways and wisdom. 

    

Today I’m shaking the dust off a few old year resolutions, this blog being one of them. With new resolve I again stretch toward certain goals, hoping to honor God in the process.

If, like me, tossing out your old calendar stirred up guilt over all those undone resolutions, check out the following verse.  

       “I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, 
       forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forward to those 
       things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the 
       upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13).  

  Though many of us don’t make (and thereby can’t break) resolutions, the new year is still a good time to rekindle hopes and aspirations. January may remind us of all we didn't do, but God’s Word reminds us to look forward and reach in that direction. Happy 2014!