That's it! Please God. Not people. Not our friends, family, co-workers, ministry partners. Just God!


When we waste our precious moments comparing what we have or don't have to others, we miss out on the opportunity to use our gifts and talents. When are eyes are on others purposes, we have no time to step out into our own future to grow our own gifts and talents. Put your eyes on God. He'll reveal that purpose as you seek Him and look to serve others.


Your purpose lies within you. Your purpose awaits you. 


Rule for purposeful living: Quit comparing yourself to others, it kills the growth of your purpose.


Do you struggle with comparing your purpose in life to others life journey's?

Alene

Did you like playing with Play-Doh when you were young? My sister and I did! We would roll, cut and form the dough into cups, vases, and flowers.  From the moment we popped the blue, yellow and red lids off the yellow cans and felt the cool, soft Play-Doh squish through our fingers, we had fun—unless we had forgotten to securely place the lids on the cans the last time we played.  If we didn’t seal the lids, the Play-Doh hardened and we had no choice but to throw it away.  Hardened Play-Doh couldn’t fulfill the purpose for which it was created:  to be molded and shaped.

Just as my sister and I shaped the Play-Doh, God, as the Bible describes Him, is a Potter

who forms us into objects of usefulness if we stay soft and pliable in His hand.  As the master Potter sculpted and formed our earth, so He longs to sculpt and form our earthly bodies to be carriers of His glory.  He yearns to shape our hearts to be vessels of His love.  He desires to mold our minds to be containers of His wisdom.

As we look further at God’s Word regarding His role as the Potter and our as the clay, let us prayerfully respond to His warning to not become hardened, unable to fulfill the purpose for which we were created.

Dear Lord, You are the Potter: I am the clay. Forgive me when I rebel against Your purposes for my life. Please mold my mind, heart and will into Your image.  Make me a vessel of honor and holiness that brings You praise.  In Jesus’s name, amen.

Debbie

Do you ever set goals and then
     BAM …interruptions out of the ordinary happen to throw you off course?

Have you ever stepped out into the fear of the unknown to accomplish something and then BAM… interruptions out of nowhere happen to make you stop and doubt?

Have you ever sat down to write out your goals and then
     BAM… your mind is interrupted by a fear that invades your thought processes?

Living with purpose is not for the faint of heart.

            Interruptions continually happen.

Living with purpose is not for those who have their act together.

            Interruptions create chaos.

Living with purpose is not a walk in the park.

             Interruptions are bumps in the road.

Living with purpose takes focus every minute of every day!

Are you having a week of being hit with BAM, BAM, BAM?

             Be determined to stay the path.

Declare, I might be interrupted for a moment, but not for a lifetime.

Alene

If life is a balancing act, why am I so clumsy? Does that questions strike a nerve somewhere within your soul?


Well, it does mine! For years people have said, "you need to make sure you are keeping your priorities straight . . . God, kids, hubby, family, work, ministry . . . and the list goes on and on." But the thing is, I'm not a juggler. Nor am I good at balancing balls, plates, or life. I'm just your everyday ordinary girl trying to live my life with purpose.


So, where is that balance everyone is talking about? How do those priorities measure up? Truthfully, some days I think I have it. Other days, I feel like a failure. A few years ago I read a book by Christine Caine "Can I Have and Do it All, Please?" It was just the answer I needed. She gave me permission not to balance. I didn't have to set priorities. I could have it all!

The secret: Live your life out like an ooey-gooey chocolate cake!


You see, we've been taught for years to prioritize our lives. When we do that we set our priorities up to complete with one another. Which really is crazy! Why should my hubby have to compete with God or my kids with my hubby?

That's the pie mentality. There are only so many slices to pie and who is going to get them? Who is going to lose out today?


But the ooey-gooey chocolate cake, think about all those scrumptious ingredients that go into making it. Each one of those ingredients is like elements in our lives: God, hubby, children, church, work, ministry, volunteer work, education, and finances. As we put all ingredients into the mixing bowl and work them together then eventually we get to taste and savor the ooey-gooey chocolate cake.


Our lives are like chocolate cake. There will be days when hubby gets more attention than kids, or ministry gets more attention than family, or our education gets more attention than volunteering. But in the end if we focus on those things that we are passionate about, we will savor our ooey-gooey purpose-filled life.


Living life on purpose is not a balancing act, it is the sum total of your purpose-filled days.


It's all about the chocolate cake! Yum.

At least I can notice it now. With every November/December time frame comes a stirring in my soul. Look back where I've been, then look ahead to where I'm going. It's all part of setting goals and forging ahead. But this time there was frustration mounting. The fire burning within me was wavering. I could feel it. Then out of my mouth the words slipped in a quiet whisper,

"Oh Lord, who am I?"

Those quiet words took me back. I chuckled. Louder and louder. How many times am I going to ask myself that? I thought.

For days that scene baffled me. Who am I? Seriously! You would think at forty blah, blah, blah years of age I'd know that answer. Am I a writer, author, teacher, mother, daughter, wife, friend, ministry leader? Who am I, Lord? Who? What do You want me to focus on?