Category Archives: Goals

Oct24

DAY 296 (2014)

Posted on October 24, 2014 by lsgrlr

A change in perspective, a change of view.
(Picture by Lisa R.)

Been thinking a lot today about how I believe life should be, verses the reality of how life is. I have realized something. We (okay me) tend to live in “the how we think things should be”. The problem…There is rarely a time where fantasy and reality are the same. Moving here in many was has been the best thing that has happened in a while, but in some ways it has been the most difficult too. Why? Because the picture in my head does not match the reality of what I am facing. Today as I drove through my picturesque city talking (okay technically complaining) to God, He impressed this on my heart… TRUST His reality. Trust the things I know to be true about God. I have been so busy thinking about how I thought things should be I had forsaken the most important thing. What God brought me here for. Today He reminded me that the ultimate problem is, where we put our focus. If we focus on the problem then all we see is the problem, oddly if we focus on our fantasy then once again all we see is the problem. But if we focus on God’s purpose, then we are privy to the big picture. Life doesn’t always fit our fantasy. Heck 99% of the time it doesn’t. That’s because the goal isn’t to live out our fantasy, but to find our true purpose, to unfold into what God created us to be. To be our “real” self. Today His still small voice told me my focus was on the wrong picture. Change your perspective, change view. Stop looking at the fantasy, look at the God who wants to lead us to the best versions of ourselves.

“We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing Him directly just as He knows us!” (1 Corinthian 13:12, The Message Bible).

The Lesson: Don’t focus on the situation focus on God who can fix the situation.

Sep23

DAY 265 (2014)

Posted on September 23, 2014 by lsgrlr

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What words are you using?

So if you have been reading my blog for a while you know I love God first and foremost. But you also know I have a love for all things Korean, so much so I have been learning the language for the past year and a half. It is a beautiful language and oddly not as hard to learn as you’d think considering the letters look more like pictures. My friend will often tease me by reading Korean characters based on what the symbols look like (to them) something like this, “the standing man is hugging a tree and crossing his legs” (yes, they’re a little abnormal… it’s why I love them). Learning this language is one of the things God used to help me step out of my box and explore the world around me. Today I have been thinking a lot about the things we let into our world, and how each new interaction changes us. Oddly I would never have this interaction with Korean had I not had surgery. I had six weeks of recuperation, which for a person who doesn’t really like being bored, was the most horrible experience, EVER. After a couple weeks of American TV and old movies I was going crazy. Enter the internet. I started surfing the web, watching random videos, I landed on a link for a Korean drama called Boys Before Flowers. I was hooked. It was both hilarious and refreshing. I then decided it would be more fun to understand what they were saying instead of just reading English subtitles, and thus started my journey into learning the Korean language. What’s the point of this very long story? Sometimes bumps in the road and potholes on the journey is God’s way of saying step out of the box, try something new. Don’t just settle for the same old. One year later my Korean journey saw me spending three weeks in Korea on a missions trip. I am not sure why I felt the need to write this today, probably because I know that we can miss so many things because we tend to stay with what we know. We stay in the box. So today just a little encouragement don’t miss your adventure because you’re too comfortable. Find the “NEW” that God has for you.

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:19).

Lesson: Don’t settle for comfort, seek the adventure. Don’t miss God’s NEW

Sep19

DAY 261 (2014)

Posted on September 19, 2014 by lsgrlr

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Sometimes the path is right, but the direction is wrong. Plug into the navigator.
(Picture by Lisa R.)

Today I woke up feeling great, but that mood changed almost instantly after seeing my email. It was from United Healthcare, I recently applied for a job and was called for a phone interview last Friday. I was told I would receive a response in a week about whether or not they’d proceed to the next step with me, a face to face (they were true to their word). It turns out they don’t want to see my face (as adorable as it is… 😉 ). I wish I could say I was the pillar of faith, that I dropped to my knees and thanked God for not opening the door, because clearly He knew it would be bad for me. No, my response was more like, “I don’t understand Lord I am qualified for this job. How come no one wants to give me an opportunity?” Followed by a run down of what will happen if I don’t find a job soon (as if God was unaware). Yup I am a solid rock of faith… not. I got out of bed feeling dejected and wondering, what God’s ultimate plan for me was (I honestly can say I understand now why the Children of Israel whined and complained, but I also understand why because of their whining God made them wander in the desert for forty years). Here’s what I know God brought me out of my bondage. I know this because while I may be a little worried at times, the freedom I feel in my heart and in my mind is secondly only to how close my relationship with God has grown over this time. I determined in my heart at the beginning of this journey that if I was going to trust, I would trust even when I didn’t understand. After my mini meltdown, I had my devotion. God led me to Judges 6 (see Random Thought for today), the story of Gideon. Through this story God reminded me that He doesn’t always make the obvious choice. He sees what we miss and if we are going to let Him lead us, we have to trust that He didn’t make a mistake even when it feels to us like He did. After my devotion I decided to go park close to my house. To clear my mind, to change my scenery, and to talk to God. On the way to the park I got lost. Here’s the interesting part: I was on the right path, I was at the right crossroads, however, I going in the wrong direction. I found this out once I plugged in my navigator. The message was clear, I am in the right spot, but going in the wrong direction. I need to plug in to my navigator. God is my navigator, He will turn me in the direction that I need to go. I will not whine (although my human nature wants to), I will not see this door as a rejection, but as God’s way of saying, “You are in the right place, but walking in the wrong direction.”

“A person’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand their own way?” (Proverbs 20:24).

Lesson: Sometimes we can be on the right path, but going in the wrong direction. Plug in the navigator.

Sep16

DAY 258 (2014)

Posted on September 16, 2014 by lsgrlr

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First step gets you to the door, second step gets you through it.
(Picture by Lisa R.)

So today I had this thought. “The first step is scary. But the second step gets you through the door.” I am not sure where the thought came from (well that’s not 100% true. Duh, God), but it has permeated my day invading my thoughts. I have accomplished a lot more in the last three weeks than I have in most of my adult life. I let go of my past and took the step necessary to grab a hold of my future. That’s quite an accomplishment, that is not to say that where I came from was bad. On the contrary I left a great job, great patients, and great friends to embark on a journey to find God’s “best” and not just live in “great”. Now that I have made the first step, moving. It is time for the second step, acclimating. The culture in Western, NY is a lot different from South Florida. For example last night I left my house at midnight to run out and get something. I was shocked to find that there was no one on the road. WEIRD!!!! I mean that literally NO ONE was on the road, just me (this makes me wonder why they have 24 hour anything here). Midnight in Florida the roads would still have tons of cars, and not from people going home, but from people going out. Clearly this part of New York is the part that does sleep, a lot. As I have been thinking about the things I miss the most, ie., my church home, my hairdresser, and my friends. It dawned on me that those are things God wants to give me here as well. Granted they won’t be a replica of what I left behind, but they will be exactly what I need for this leg of the journey. How do I get them? Take the next step. Step one gets us to the destination, but it is the second step that gets us through the door. This is not just true of life, but of our walk with God as well. Many times we’re comfortable with the first step, asking God for help. But it is the second step, doing what He says that tends to give us pause. Life is about the journey, that’s true. But journeys are meant to bring us to a destination. Don’t just take the first step, take the second as well. Don’t just arrive, thrive.

“Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing” (Genesis 12:1).

Lesson: The second step is just as important as the first. The first gets you to the door, the second gets you through it.

Sep15

DAY 257 (2014)

Posted on September 15, 2014 by lsgrlr

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By faith the seed dies, so the flower can bloom. Each new bud is the realization of the seed of faith.
(Picture by Lisa R.)

Fasting. I can’t say it without laughing. Why? Because anytime I do it something always comes up that makes me think, “I wish I had put this off till tomorrow” (yes, I am a horrible Christian 🙂 ). Yesterday I fasted and yes, had the thought. It was family day, my brother came over to watch football and my mom spent ALL DAY COOKING really good smelling food. Sigh… life can be unfair 🙁 . Here’s the irony for most days in the week I can go almost all day without eating, and never feel hungry. But the moment the lack of eating is attributed to giving that time to God, it becomes the most unbearable, hardest thing I could ever encounter. Human nature 101: we don’t normally want something until we can’t have it. Today as I sat reflecting on the things that God showed me yesterday. It hit me that the point of fasting was not to get God to do what I want. It is about the letting go of something I want, to achieve something I need. The question: Are we willing to give something up, and allow God to fill that spot? Fasting is about the discipline. Yes. The discipline. The ability to bring our flesh (that spends most of its time warring against spiritual things), under God’s control. Fasting brings us closer to God, because it allows our flesh to see that there is something greater than itself. Feeling a little distant, walking with the Lord feels strained? Don’t worry it simply means your spirit and your flesh are at war. The solution: let your spirit win. Bring the flesh under God’s control. Nothing accomplishes that like fasting.

“But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21).

Lesson: Fasting brings our flesh under God’s control.

Sep8

DAY 250 (2014)

Posted on September 8, 2014 by lsgrlr

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Faith is like a tree it blooms or dies depending on how you feed it…
(벚꽃 -sounds like pop-corn- Chenon S. Korea Picture by Joy Seo.)

I have been very inconsistent with my DAY posts this year. I vow to do better starting now. Life was (and in some ways still is) hectic, but it is all part of the journey God has me on. Now as I sit relaxed after a 2.5 mile trek, I am wishing I had been more consistent. God has been faithfully teaching me all along the way, but I have not been faithful in dictating the lessons learned as a reminder for myself and a tool to help others. So today I am committing to getting back on track. So, then what am I learning now? Faith requires work. Yup, WORK. Many of us define faith as “believing and hoping in the unseen”, and you wouldn’t really be incorrect. But belief and hope requires that the believer/hoper participate actively in the pursuit of what they are believing and hoping for. Faith is not passive, it was never meant to be. We can’t simply just believe things into existence, if we could there would be no need for hard work. No need for education, or even the need to set goals and dreams. Now I don’t want you to misunderstand, I am not insinuating that we shouldn’t trust God to meet our needs. I am also NOT saying that we shouldn’t have the faith of a child (the kind of faith Christ told us to have). But what I am saying is that God has given us the gift of faith so that we can act on it. For example I want to be a doctor, I believe by faith it is what God has called me to do. I have sat on this thought for years knowing in my head that I want to do it. Feeling in my heart that every road that led to somewhere other than medical school was just a temporary stop on my bandwagon of procrastination. But the only way for me to become a doctor is to enroll in school (uhmmm…done). I have to study and learn. I have a responsibility, a role to play, in order to see my faith realized. Faith is not passive it is active. It requires us to take the steps necessary. It requires that we actively seek God’s will as we travel with Him in our faith walk. Sometimes faith says go, go, go. Sometimes faith says stop and wait. Be it go, go, go or wait… FAITH requires WORK.

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).

The Lesson: Faith is active not passive, do the work necessary.

Sep8

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on September 8, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Joshua 19.”When they had finished dividing the land into its allotted portions, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among them, as the Lord had commanded. They gave him the town he asked for—Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim. And he built up the town and settled there” (Verses 49-50). What comes after the fight? Rest. God allows us to enjoy what He has blessed us with. Joshua lead the people into the promise. He fought many kings, many nations, he destroyed the enemy and tore down strongholds he did all God commanded. Then God gave him REST. Does it feel like you’re always fighting? It may just be your season to fight. We all have that season a time where God says, “Lay hold of what I have for you.” Fighting teaches us perseverance. It teaches us to trust that God will go before us into battle. Some fights are long, Israel struggled for 40 years, Caleb, was 85 and still fighting. Some fights are a quick one, two punch. But whether the struggle is long or short the end result is always the same…REST. He gives us peace and rest from our enemies, from the struggle. So push through, fight the good fight. Hold on to the promises of God. Knowing that your Savior will keep His EVERY promise. Knowing REST is on the way.

Sep7

DAY 249 (2014)

Posted on September 7, 2014 by lsgrlr

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Like a lamp with no bulb…so is truth with no substance. Both give no light.
(Picture by Lisa R.)

Today I realized just how important a good church home really is. I recently moved, to Williamsville, NY. It’s beautiful here, the people are very friendly. I have a beautiful place to live, a little money in the bank, I am actively looking for a job (money won’t last for ever). I know God will provide. I know He has a purpose and has a plan. He is not only my plan A, but my B thru Z as well. I can’t put into words why this journey is so important to me, and why I need God to be the complete guide of this adventure that I am now on. I also can’t completely explain the change in my heart, or my desire to see God be victorious in my life through this time. I want Him to be the light that shines so that others (who may believe God, but have a back up just in case) can see that truly God is ALL we need. Thus, I need a good home church, not just a building, but a place where I learn, a place where I grow, and place where I have community with other believers and lovers of Christ. I have been to a couple of churches, both were very nice, but nice is all it was. However, I am not looking for nice, I am looking to learn. I am looking for a church that is making disciples, creating people who are not just “Christian” in name only, but in deed, action, and lifestyle as well. I want to grow so that I can become what God wants me to become. These goals can not be accomplished in a “nice” church. Why, the diatribe? During church today (I watched my old church online), Pastor Doug said these words in regards to being a disciple of Christ: “Being a disciple of Jesus is a LIFE LONG pursuit”. It is continuous and until we reach our final destination (Heaven or that other place… 😉 ), we are to be growing and moving forward. We should be learning about our beliefs as well as being challenged to live what we believe. We need to be a light in the darkness. That calls for more than just a “nice” church, it calls for an ACTIVE and ALIVE church. If our goal is to change the world for Christ, but on Sundays we leave church feeling “good”, but not challenged, then it is time for a new church. However, if our goal is to just be happy, just live for ourselves then continue in the “nice” church. As for me I am not looking to just be happy (for the record there is nothing wrong with being happy), I am looking to CHANGE THE WORLD! So “just nice” won’t cut it.

Sep1

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on September 1, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Joshua 12. (Verses 1-24). I did not write the verse today because the Chapter as a whole is the point. From verses one to twenty-four Joshua 12 lists the kings that Israel defeated as they entered the promise land. I am amazed at this because they conquered every obstacle that stood in the way of them receiving what God had for them. How? God fought for them. Today as I was doing my devotion I realized how every chapter, every verse, and every book in the bible that God had lead me to in my time with Him, was directly reflective of what was happening in my life at the moment. In Deuteronomy Israel was being prepared for the promised land. At the same time I was preparing for my move to Buffalo and just as God was dealing with things that needed to be removed from Israel (in Deuteronomy), He was dealing with me and my family the same way. In Joshua the people are one by one attaining the promise that God has for them, the journey wasn’t easy they had battles, but in each one God fought for them and they came out victorious. I have been in Buffalo for 2 weeks and many things have gone smoothly while other things have been a fight, yet we have been victorious in ALL thus far, because God has fought for us. As I read chapter 12 I had this thought, one day I will be able to like Joshua, sit back and survey all that I have conquered, because God went before me. Upon my move God has given me a new life verse (that’s not to say the old one is invalid… it more like He has added to it). The verse Proverbs 16:3, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” Why? Because if I commit what I do to God then His plans become mine, as I allow Him to lead me. Joshua lived following God and was able to sit back and name every king conquered by God. My prayer: One day you and I will be able to sit back and name all that we have conquered and overcome because God went before us.

Aug21

DAY 232 (2014)

Posted on August 21, 2014 by lsgrlr

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Stay the course. Even when you hit a bump…stay the course.
(Picture by Lisa R.)

Mmmm… This day has been one that I think I will remember for as long as I live. Why? Today God spoke literally (through His word). He said if I made Him the focus of my day that He would bless me. No exaggeration that was my morning devotion, He spoke loud and clear. Let me back track. Yesterday if you read my post you know I had a bit of a set back. It left me feeling a little heartbroken and discouraged. During the night I kept questioning my faith, questioning whether or not I heard God correctly. I had made so many mistakes in my past by not listening to Him, I vowed not to do this with the rest of the time that I had on this earth. I didn’t want to waste anymore time living in fear, worrying about where my life was headed. I know God has a path and I want to follow it. So what happened yesterday shook me at first, but then I remembered my commitment to the Lord, that I would not allow anything to shake my faith. Despite how bad things looked I would trust in Him. So this morning when He spoke so clearly, it refreshed my heart and renewed my soul. First He led me to Isaiah 12:2. Here He reminded me that complete trust is the only road to true blessings. Then He led me to 1 Kings 8:23, here He reminded me that He is not just going before me, but that He is bedside me and behind me as well, and that every promise made will be kept. Then as if that wasn’t enough He completed the talk with Joshua 2 (see Random Thought for 08/21/2014). Joshua sent the spies out to survey the promise land. There they encounter Rahab, and they make a promise to her that both her and her family would be safe, IF she followed what they said. See the correlation? Obedience. Today I have been approved for a place to live, I was able to speak with someone in regards to a job, someone else told me about a bunch of places where I could find jobs in my field. I was able to drive around and get acquainted with the place I will be for the next few years. Today was a blessing, and all I had to do to receive it was put God first. Mmmmm…I think I’ll do that again tomorrow 😀 .

“And he said: ‘Lord God of Israel,there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts'”(1 Kings 8:23).

Today my journey taught me to put God first. He’ll clear the path.