Looking Past and Ahead

As we slide out of 2011, I look back at an amazing year. A year filled with tears of anger, sorrow, frustration, joy and overwhelming worship. I see the growth in every area of my life and thank God for his abundant goodness. I could never have imagined the blessings and healing that has been showered down upon my family. He brought me back to him, has shown me true love, gave me an extended family beyond anything I could have imagined and granted me healing from an illness from which I was told there was no escape.

 Deu 28:2-3 (NIV) All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country… http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Deu&c=28&t=NIV#comm/2.

Where do I go from here? How do I make this next year not only live up to the last, but greatly surpass it. What does God’s blue print look like me for 2012? Of course I have to trust Him and be satisfied that I will never see the fullness of what he has in store. That doesn’t mean I have to awkwardly stumble forward blindly. Fortunately I have a pastor who is very much interested in seeing his congregation grow personally and succeed in all things. He had some good advice for starting out this New Year.

Before looking at where God is leading me, I need to look to where the Holy Spirit has directed my thoughts, passions and prayers throughout the last year. My list was huge so I just started writing them all down as they came to me: creative arts, prayer, music, fasting, ministry, shepherding, marriage/family, the artist coalition and of course this blog (I am sure as I pray and meditate this list has a very good chance of becoming longer). So where do I start!

Next I needed to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of possible growth; then look for opportunities to advance in those areas in the next twelve months. It was obvious to me that was ALL of them. Hmmm… so God you directed my thoughts and passion directly to the areas of my life I need growth in? What a coincidence. Oh! Oh! Wait… and you have laid at my door step opportunities to advance in those areas. It kind of feels like You are doing all the work God. I forgot… you are. Thank you! I can break these areas of growth into four major groups with several overlapping:  ministry, sharing/developing my gifts,  growing in my relationship with the Lord as well as  growth in personal relationships.

Proverbs 11:28 (The Message) A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump; a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree.

The only way I am going to be able to move forward and effectively use the tools God has given me is to invite the Holy Spirit to empower me to become stronger in self and spiritual disciplines. Pray, pray and pray some more. Eliminate the ruminating thoughts of this world. Let go of that incessant anxiety and need to control my environment. Let go of my want for the person around me to be exactly in line with my thinking and truly trusting in the Lord.

Gal 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Gal&c=5&t=NIV.

The final step is to fully offer myself to join the Lord’s purpose no matter where that may lead. Stretching myself to limit, past what I think my limit is.  

NO WALLS

NO FEARS

NO DOUBTS

NO EXCUSES

Looking at it like that, it should be easy, right? Taking down the walls, fears, doubts and excuses eliminates 90% of my life. That should make things simple, right? Look at all the time I will have if I don’t have to be defensive, or worry about things, second guess myself or constantly make excuses for not doing something. Oh….prayer. That’s all I can say, prayer. I better get some knee pads.

Please pause the music and watch the following video "This year will be Different" http://www.sermonspice.com/product/29921/skit-guys-this-year-will-be-different

(I have to give credit to Pastor Scott Flanagan for helping me get my thoughts organized and thank him for his very thought provoking sermon last Sunday.)