The World Goes On

I was watching a movie star today on TV when I heard her say the world goes on even when I want to get off for a while. She had just lost her father not to long ago and wanted to stop what she was doing and spend some time grieving her lost, but her lifestyle did not give her the opportunity to do so.
No matter what goes on in your life, the world does not pause and wait for you to catch up. When trials come upon you such as death, heartache, betrayals, sickness and any other hardships we tend to look at others and not comprehend why they are so lively. Can't they see that I'm hurting? Stop, look at me I need to be comforted! When we see people from day to day we may never know what is going on inside of them and we very seldom stop to ask what it is. We don't know how many of them are ready to jump off this twirling world.

The lost of a loved one often propels us to this state of mind. The sorrow of everyday living is personified to us through the death of a significant person in our lives. It causes us to stop and take inventory of our own life. Sorrow and grief take on a new life and we begin to look at the decisions we have made that have a significant impact on us and those who live in our world. We look at the "what ifs."
We begin to weave a cocoon around our grief and feel as though no one understands where we are. This is when we want the world to stop so that we can get off for just a little while.

Day to day happenings still go on such as you have a job to go to, they only give you so many days off to grieve and then you must return and perform as if you never had a lost of any kind. You received the cards and flowers and the comforting phrases, but life had to go on. After a couple of weeks everyone expects life to return to normalcy. The world goes on in spite of what you are feeling or going through.

The world goes on whether you are happy or sad. We all have days that we wish we could stop the rotation. When we are happy, we want to stop the world on its axis so that the feeling will never go away. We want to bask in the goodness of the moment. When we are sad we want to stop get off, feel better, stop being responsible for a short time, then hop back on. But, we know that this is not going to happen as the world still goes on either way.

Because the world goes on no matter which way things happen, we must learn to cope with the different situations that may crop up in our lives. One way to cope is to have a grounding factor in your life that never changes. Now you say to yourself that there is nothing in this life that never changes. There is only this one thing that never changes and that is the love of Jesus and how He'll always love you. This love will always be available to you if you choose to accept it and even if this world goes on without you the love of Jesus never stops for you get to live with Him forever once you have left this world.

Seek Him now while He may be found. The world only offers temporary solutions to life's ups and downs. Yes the world goes on with or without us. Make your time here count by becoming a child of God. Accept Jesus as your personal savior and become a part of His kingdom which transcends this world as it goes on.

When Change Is No Longer An Option

My pastor shared a book with me by Long and Chand. The title is Rechurch. This book had six key facts that we should put into practice in our daily walk when a change is needed. A change that is needed to transform our way of handling our business.

Let's look at the first fact: Pre-contemplation. Pre-contemplation often starts with a dream a thought that has taken root in your head and refuses to go away. It's like a song that you keep singing, but wish you could stop singing. No matter what you do the thought remains and becomes an intricate part of your thinking. As the process festers, you slowly move to the contemplative stage.

Contemplation propels you to talk to someone intelligently about the thoughts that have become a constant companion. You begin to make sense of why you can't get these thoughts out of your head. Perhaps there is a purpose a reason for them to have found a resting place in your head. The thoughts begin to take shape. Something you can focus on and bring to fruition. Ideas flow and a picture comes into view as if you were painting like an artist working on a masterpiece. Your imagination soars as you make the choice to do something with your thoughts.

Now that the Decision is made a plan is formulated. You begin to assign words, sentences, paragraphs and for some pages of what your project should look like. The sharing of the plan when presented to others affirms the direction you're going in. Because of those affirmations you move closer to the completion of your thoughts. It's time to put your plan in action.

Action requires you doing something. Not sitting down with your feet propped up waiting for something to happen on its own. For some, action is seeking out people, places, knowledge, finances and whatever it takes to make the plan go forth. You must take action to do something if you want your plan to take flight. Give your plans wings so it can soar in the clouds of your imagination.

When you have done the first four key factors then you move to Follow-through. Here is where you determine what needs to be sustained. Follow-through must be a repeated process. It makes the process doable but not to the point that it becomes institutionalized. In order not to become just doers and maintenance people you must Re-contemplate what you have done.

Re-contemplation requires revisiting your dreams, your goals your plans. You will need to determine if what you started out doing is still working, needs to be changed or tweaked. Here is where you ask the real questions. This is the time to strategize, find out how to bring about a change that will maximize your original dreams.

Finally we should look at Re-contemplating by Re-tooling, Re-structuring, Re-ordering, Re-covering and then Re-connecting. This book has 68 short pages that are packed with information that can help you move forward in your life as well as your church life. I encourage you to go on a reading journey and as you unpack each garment of truth when you return; apply the principles so that you will be well on your way to Re-tooling your life.

By Invitation Only

In the mail a couple of weeks ago I received an invitation to a wedding from someone in my distant family. Will I go, probably not for I don't have a clue as to who they are. I just know they are part of my extended family, but I was still invited. My assumption was that they wanted me to attend and celebrate in one of their lives important events.

When people send out invitations they are asking you to be a participant in the special events of their lives. The events are generally made up of people whom you have relationships with and have created a bond. You want them to share in your most precious memories to live over and over again as you reminisce with fond thoughts. You were invited because you were important enough in the invitee's life to be asked to commemorate this special ocassion with them.

As you live your life you will receive several invitations. It will be your choice to decide to accept or decline. Whether the invite comes from a family memeber or close friends you determine by choice whether you will be a part of their celebration. A very important choice is made in your life when God invites you to be a part of His royal family.

Jesus said "I stand at the door and knock." He gives an open invitation for you to come in and sup with Him, to become a heir in His family, His kingdom. The invitation is open at any given time of your life. The offer always stand as Jesus stands at the door to your heart seeking entrance. You must personally invite Jesus to come in. He accepts your invitation only when you address it to Him. He opens the invitation with much joy and gladly celebrate with the heavenly host.

Do not expect Jesus to come and be a guest in your life unless you have personally invited Him in. In order to be a part of His kingdom you must first issue the invitation. Jesus comes by invitation only. He never crashes the party. Jesus said "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." Rev. 3:20 NIV

You will be invited to weddings, birthday parties, special events that honors a person's accomplishments, anniversaries, graduation and many other forms of festive occassions. The reason you attend is because you are personally invited. Extend that same invitation to Jesus so that He can be a participant in every aspect of your life.

Remember Jesus will not force His way into your life. He comes by invitaion only.


09-13-09