We are a mist

The passage below is about making plans separate from God. I came across a quote from Charles Spurgeon about this: "There are two great certainties about things that shall come to pass - one is that God knows, and the other is that we do not know." 

      Things to contemplate/meditate on: why don't we think to check in with God more often? Pride? Independence? Or we just don't think about it? How can we be more mindful about including our Father in all aspects of our lives?

 

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

James 4:13-17 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for today; asking the Father what His will is for us for this day. Let's also pray to keep what's most important always at the forefront of our thoughts and actions. Pray for boldness and encouragement to be Christlike in all that we do and His image-bearer to everyone He sends our way.

 

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Today is a gift

As Oogway once said: 

Yesterday is history, 

tomorrow is a mystery, 

but today is a gift. 

That is why it is called the present.*

This week may be a little different as far as praying ... I'd like for us to do a little self-reflection. I can't help but think the rapture will occur in our lifetime and may even be just around the corner. Even if I'm wrong, we're not guaranteed tomorrow. I get to thinking about this stuff and what would I do differently if I knew that tomorrow wouldn't come? How would I spend my time? What would be my biggest regret?

     My intention is to start each day giving thanks, and then check in with God as to what He would like me to do that day. There was a story I heard along those lines where the person put God first, giving up her wants and desires for His. It was just a wonderful testimony of trusting God and making Him an integral part of our lives. 

     When I originally started putting this week's topic together it was about "tomorrow", but then I realized that it's really about the possible absence of tomorrow, which makes it about "today."

     I am forever planning and mapping out my days, managing my time to the extent that I get caught up in the future, what I'll do next, instead of enjoying the present, living in the moment. 

     I also spend a lot of time reflecting on the past, remembering, rehashing, regretting certain events. It's kind of a shame because we're giving this fresh start each and every day. We need to cherish it and spend it wisely, doing God's will. That's my hope for this week of prayer. I hope you'll join me.

Do not boast about tomorrow, 

for you do not know what a day may bring.

Proverbs 27:1 ESV

* From Kung Fu Panda 1. I also think it is a quote from a philosopher, but didn't have time to look that up.

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Please join me this week in praying for today; asking the Father what His will is for us for this day. Let's also pray to keep what's most important always at the forefront of our thoughts and actions. Pray for boldness and encouragement to be Christlike in all that we do and His image-bearer to everyone He sends our way.

 

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Clear your mind

One thing that helps me when I can't seem to shut off my mind, is to meditate and say "om" on the exhales.

Meditation

I've spent the entire day just exhausted and rather blah. Really took it easy today, though and tried to find comfort in all of my friends' words of wisdom and inspiration and most importantly, support. I'll be sharing a lot of those comments later because they really do put things in perspective.

Several months ago, I went to a bookstore with my daughter and her boyfriend. I just can NOT go into a bookstore without buying something. After about an hour and a half of picking up books and putting them back (on such a wide range of subjects) I came across Meditation A Beginner's Guide by Charlotte Parnell. For some reason, I decided that was the one for me. I carried it around in my backpack for about 5 months before realizing, I am never going to read it, so I put it on our bookshelf.

Over the past couple of weeks, with all my thinking, reflecting, trying to get a grasp on 'the big picture' that we call life, I decided to return the book to my backpack. Last week, while visiting with my husband in the hospital, I pulled it out and started reading. This woman understood me! She even starts out talking about 'the big picture'. So, I've been reading it as time has allowed over the past couple of days and finally made it to the first meditation exercise. It was amazing!!!

I feel calmer and less depressed. Definitely a step in the right direction :)

Today

Today is the beginning. I've had so much that I've wanted to write but didn't. Either I didn't have time, or the energy or desire to walk across the room to the computer. At this point, I can't remember what I've written here, or in my notebooks, or in my notes on my flashdrive, but I do know where I need to start.

A. Name the 3 most important things of your life:
1. God
2. Family
3. Friends

I'll prioritize the other aspects of my life later, but for now, I'm focusing on these 3 things. So, step one of my New Year's theme (Faith, Hope and Love) is to make sure my actions and decisions are based on what is most important.

I've already spent a lot of time on this one this past week with everything going on in my personal life which I'll write more about later, but you can probably get the jest of in the About Me section.

I heard that it takes approximately 4 weeks to learn a new habit and its virtually impossible to learn more than 1 habit at time; 2 simultaneous habits are possible, as long as they are closely related.

I'm going to start with the following format. I feel my first task is the biggest one and hope that all following tasks throughout the year will fall into place from this one.

2011 Theme: Faith, Hope and Love
2011 Tagline: Prayer
January Goal: Focus on what is most important: God, family, friends
Step one: Get closer to God.
Actions: Learn to meditate; (as my friend Pauline says:) walk with God, give everything up to God; keep a journal (this blog) and read the Bible.
Habit: meditation - includes time to reflect, to walk and to read
Related habit: journal entries
Hope to accomplish: inner peace and understanding