What Plans Are Making Your Heart Beat?

Van Gogh, Monet, and Da Vinci are in the Top 10 Classics of artists. Among the Top 10 Modern Masters of art, we find O’Keeffe, Kandinsky, and Picasso. And the list goes on. Sometimes it took years for these artists to complete a masterpiece after many failed attempts. Some artists were not even known until after they died.

We all have some type of creativity, as that is how human beings were created. We may not hold a paintbrush in our hands and sit at an easel, but there is something in our lives we are good at creating. It could be the flute we played in the marching band in high school or the ballet shoes hanging in the closet for years.

Our creativity may not lie in the arts at all. It might be how exact we are at calculating sales projections, how we naturally lead the group in the PTA meetings, our knack in baking bread, or hosting a grand opening at the local museum. Any number of activities can fulfill our gift of creativity.

Your Beating Heart

We can know we are gifted in certain areas when we anxiously wait until we get to do it again. It comes easy to us and we delight in the pure joy of it. Our artistic gift fills our thinking and we employ feedback from friends to learn even more. We happily make continual plans for it all the time. We read and research the subject and strive to improve our skills. It is our purpose!

Some of us have a purpose that has remained dormant for years. We either haven’t taken the time to discover what it is or we put only a half-hearted try into developing our gift. Just because we got distracted with other things for years, doesn’t mean we don’t have any creativity.

Isn’t It Time?

Today is perfect for dusting off the ideas we have stored in the back of our minds. Most likely, we already know what we want and can do with the rest of our lives. But maybe it’s a little hazy and we need to be pointed in the right direction. If that seems reasonable, try these resources:

Books

What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard N. Bolles

A Compendium for Conscious Creators by Orna Ross

Discovering Joy in Your Creativity by Women of Faith

Websites (click on link)

Pinterest

Creativity for Women

Creativity and Divorce

        

What An Artist!

Of all living things God breathed life into, humans are His masterpieces. YOU are His masterpiece and there is no one else like you! None. You are the original and there are no copies. He takes delight in that fact.

God has a reason for creating you. A purpose just for you to do good, so others will learn from you who He is and praise Him as the One true God. That’s a big assignment, but God already knew you could do it in your own special, unique way. No one else can do it just exactly like you!

The Bible says, “In the beginning God created. . .” He is the One and Only Creator of all, has always created from the beginning of time, and is still creating new life every day. He never stops and He never makes a mistake. What an artist He is! To discover your best life, get to know this Master of All.  

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

How to Accomplish Much

We are all born with certain inherent abilities. They give us reasons why we might want to work in a certain area. Some of us are naturally gifted to work in the medical field, or with computers in an IT department, or as an elementary, high school, or college level teacher. Others may be perfected suited to hold positions in the police force, construction, or in political office.

In the 21st century, we thankfully have opportunities to work in any field we choose. It’s true, some type of education or training--including on-the-job--will be necessary. But if we have the desire to flourish and grow, and if we persevere through all the effort it takes, we can get to where we want to go.

Rhythm & Tempo

Once we finally arrive at our destination, we still have places to go. Thriving in the work world is a constant learning environment. The meter ticks rhythmically back and forth between one position and another; between beginner and advanced levels. If we welcome momentum in our occupations, we can accomplish much.

We may also see or experience the opposite. Our careers can get sidetracked or the job doesn’t work out. Or we move from one city to another. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the average worker will hold around 15 jobs in their lifetime. So we are not alone.

Seven Supportive Steps

What we want to do is find out what is the best way to remain in a job--at least long enough to get that promotion--before moving on to the next best thing. Other than obvious rules, like showing up on time for work, there are plenty of ways to stay active and enjoy our working years.

1. Lifelong Learning. Master one task; take responsibility for the next one.
2. Offer the Unexpected. When the boss gives steps 1, 2 & 3, volunteer for steps 4, 5, and 6.
3. Stand Out. Don’t follow the crowd, do the right thing.
4. Be a Champion. Stand up for the underdog; give the benefit of the doubt.
5. Fill in the Gaps. Help a coworker who is struggling in her duties.
6. Be an Example. Show love, offer encouragement, extend a helping hand.
7. Compromise. It’s not necessary to always be correct; try humbleness instead.

The End of the Rope

It’s certainly difficult right now to figure out what to do with our lives. How to move from being a couple to making it on our own. Every day, every job, every place will not always be perfect for us, maybe not even a little bit, maybe not for awhile.

This is where we realize the end of our rope has a knot in it to catch us! If we learn to trust in God, we will not fall. There may even be a day God will lead us right into a new relationship and then we will be on another path. But for now, at this season in our lives, God has other plans for us. We can only do our very best.

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct. Galatians 6:4-5 (NLT)

Five Promises for Your Life Today

Have you ever seen just half of the length of a rainbow arc? You know the kind: it is not very long, but is exceptionally wide with beautiful colors. Scientists tell us the human eye can see seven of these colors, although at times, we may only perceive five.  

The rainbow reaches high into the sky to meet the clouds after a rain. But this particular, wide rainbow is swallowed up by them and we can not see the entire arc as it was made. It’s as if our Creator wants us to stop and concentrate just on the beginning of such magnificence!

Should we take a clue, then, and focus our lives on a colorful, new beginning and not worry about the end, our future? It might be much better if we do. We have a choice to live our fullest and best life, right now. We can trust and let God take care of our future. Pay attention; He will tell us why.  

  

The Promise Maker

We certainly are not strangers to promises made in our lives. We’ve heard our friends, neighbors, family, and especially our former spouses make promises to us. Sometimes, these words are kept in the best way and with the best intentions. That’s a very good feeling.

There are, of course, the times when we haven’t been able to trust a person. They come up with all sorts of excuses time after time why they couldn’t come through for us. Sure, everyone has times when life gets in the way, and that’s understandable. It’s the repetition that’s hard to take.

We can be absolutely assured of having all promises kept, when we know the faithful God who is the Maker of Promises. He is serious here:

Five of the Best Promises

• But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! (John 15:7)
• The Lord will work out his plans for my life--for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever . . . (Psalm 138:8)
• God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. (Matthew 5:8)
• And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. . .Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. (Luke 12:29a, 31)
• For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. (Psalm 91:11-12)

This is only a tiny sampling. There are so many promises in the Bible, they are hard to number. There’s a challenge for us! But remember, there is no “pot of gold” at the end of the rainbow. Only His sufficient gift of grace at the beginning and eternal life with Him in heaven when we accept His Son, Jesus, as our Lord and Savior. And that’s more than enough for anyone.

I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. Genesis 9:13 (NLT)

Whom Can You Invite On Your Journey?

Friend of Jonathan

Meet Jonathan. He is a very large and cumbersome tortoise from India. He’s proud to hold the longest living land creature record yet at 250 years old. A true achievement! Of course, he has nothing on some of his cousins from the sea. The Ocean Quahog--a type of edible clam from the North Atlantic--survives about 507 years. These ancient marvels can make us feel like toddlers.      

Common creatures we know better and love, like the fashionable ladybug who crawls through just two to three years, our favorite furry kitten or lovable puppy who live thirteen to eighteen years respectively, or the magnificent horse that lives to nearly thirty years, can all leave us with the sound of creaking joints!

Let’s Travel

What these living critters and creatures don’t have to worry about is building a life that will sustain them through heartache, disasters, and upsets. Our human situations are much more difficult. We’ve had to deal with trying to renovate a life left in shambles; to negotiate what we have, where we are going, and when things will happen. There’s been good and not-so-good days. But we found enough resilience to make it through more than we ever imagined.

Now we arrive intact in new territory. Without a doubt, we can step off that emotional train and breathe in a whole new way to do things. There is no reason not to trust our instincts that brought us to this point. We can move ahead and begin with confidence. The old suitcases of fears and insecurities were purposely left behind. They aren’t needed any longer.

We Have Choices

Now the question is: what do we do with the rest of our lives? There have been those who simply give up and never find a life of satisfaction and happiness. They spend their days walking around shrugging their shoulders, living in their pajamas, and not taking responsibility for their own destination. This sad and empty existence can go on until the end of their lives.

Just reading this is an indication we haven’t given up in any way, shape, or form. We fought for the right to create our own life full of attainable goals, dreams, and new adventures. There are enough ways to do this to fill a library. Getting out there and discovering the best choice for each of us is half the fun. Just never quit! Remember:

The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn. --Ralph Waldo Emerson

Who Holds Your Ticket?

There are numerous and unique ways to physically reach our potential. Inside, we can add to our joy through spending time with good friends, keeping ourselves healthy and energetic, and building relationships that are full of love, acceptance and forgiveness.

None of the physical or emotional pathways we can find, however, will lead anywhere without the supportive and merciful love of the One True God, who holds the ticket to our next journey. He’s anxious to welcome us!

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. 1 John 4:11-12 (NLT)

Being Stuck in Yesterday

No matter where we live on this amazing earth, each day only has 24 hours, as we well know. Once one day is gone, it’s gone forever. We can not repeat that day, as the present is already here. Creation was made that way, and in so doing, it gave us the chance to have a fresh start and begin again.

Most of us can wrap our housecoats around us and welcome a brand new day. It’s a refreshing time to greet the morning sunshine, grab our coffee or tea, and plan how we will spend our time. Thankfully, some of us have jobs to go to, classes to attend, kids to get off to school, or friends to meet for a workout and lunch. And as single-again women, we may have already discovered a new purpose for living in this world.

Quicksand Terror

The present is the ever moving shadow that divides yesterday from tomorrow. In that lies hope. --Frank Lloyd Wright

Sometimes, however, there are those of us who get side-tracked and fall into a hole. We long to just turn around and go back to yesterday. We want to have a “re-do” in some way. It pulls on us and deceives us into believing if we could just try again, we could make today go away. We are just not able to move on to the next day with ease.

Without some kind of personal “life line,” we are in danger of getting pulled into the quicksand of life. We can spend months or even years trying to struggle past what’s right in front of us. Why is that? It is because we believe we have lost all hope of ever having a good life again.

We can’t see how it is possible. Yet, if we swallow our pride and connect with people who are willing to help us through the rough part (and there are plenty), then we will find ways to do what we know we need to do--pack up the house, sell the furniture, get a new place to live or a new job--whatever it might be.

Shadows Are Ever Moving

If we have ever watched a sundial for any length of time, we can readily see that time never stands still. The shadow is always moving forward. Our lives can be wasted if we refuse to take part in today before it is gone. We know this to be true if we have ever slept through an entire day.   

So where can we find hope? Hope lives in a place with its companions, faith and love. Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are centered in this same place. Therefore, developing a mature relationship with the Master of this world will automatically introduce us to the life God already planned for us a long time ago. We need only to answer His knock on our door. Just be prepared to share a meal with a new Friend!

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again--my Savior and my God! Psalm 42:11 (NLT)

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Revelation 3:20 (NLT)

How Can We Keep Going?

Today is International Women’s Day. A day to definitely celebrate who we are with all the delight and happiness available to us. We are included in this unique day no matter our status as single-again women; or whether we are a mom or not; or a grandma or not; or a sister, aunt, or whether our parents are living or not. All of those relations are important and special, but today is all about celebrating our femaleness!

Who would we pick as the one female (non-relative) who has had the most influence in our lifetime? It might be the life and accomplishments of someone we learned about in our studies such as:  

• Eleanor Roosevelt who used her influential voice of First Lady to speak on the injustice of certain social matters. She was also a strong supporter of African-American rights, even in the 1940s. Eleanor never was elected to office, but is still quoted today as a social reformer.

• Marie Curie, a scientist and the first woman to win a Nobel Prize. And the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two different science fields! Marie was the first female Professor at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France. If you think she had nothing else to do, she also refined X-ray imaging. Think about her when you have your next mammogram!

How Can We Keep Going?

Our influential female may be a living person. One that we admire for her tenacity and determination in the midst of all the trials and tribulations poured on her like a torrential downpour.

Anyone who has ever experienced anger, depression, or suicidal thoughts, or even just a day gone very, very bad, the story of Joni Eareckson Tada will lift your doubts and fears to a new level.

In 1967 when she was just 17 years old, Joni became a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the shoulders down during a diving accident. We can all imagine the heart-wrenching discouragement she endured. Did she give up? Sure. At first, Joni did just that; she wanted to end it all right there.

But Someone gave her the strength to go on. Within just a few years, Joni learned to paint with a brush between her teeth! With that same method, so far, she has written over forty books, including the best-selling Joni, the story of her life. Joni has recorded several musical albums, starred in a movie of her life, and is an advocate for the disabled! Was that the end? No, in 2010, Joni was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy. Her courage could fill the Grand Canyon!  

In view of these women and their accomplishments, we might ask ourselves, what have we done with our days? Instead of living in a state of depression and discouragement, we can review the lives of women we admire. We can then pick our chins up off the floor, pack our bags full of courage, strength, and toughness and start something new.

He’s On Our Side

It isn’t easy to move on by ourselves. To help us find a place of love and encouragement, we need only look to our heavenly Father. He already knows our hurts, problems, and challenges. He just wants to hear us ask for His help, as He never wants to force His love on us.   

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)

How To Change Emotional Abuse

When we were kids, we repeated a rhyme that said, “Sticks and stones will will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” All we need to do is ask Charlie Brown from the comic strip, Peanuts, if that is true. He was the object of every horrible thing that was ever said or done.

His friends Linus, Lucy, Peppermint Patty, Schroeder, Franklin, Sally, Pig-Pen, and of course, Snoopy and Woodstock, all had different reactions to his dilemma. Just like them, we want to side with Charlie Brown at times and at other times, we kind of think he might have deserved the joking.

It’s a painful experience to suffer ridicule in our lives. And there are many ways people exhibit their brand of hurting others. We’ve all had to endure this abuse in our lives when we were in a relationship. We struggled and are now relieved to find ourselves in a better place.  

What We Are Learning  

In many cases, words--verbal abuse--are what we had to endure day after day. We of all people understand the power of words. We now have a decision to make. Are we going to continue this pattern or beat it? No one willingly wants to be responsible for repeating that horror. Only if we have an open mind and heart will we learn from our past. Changing emotional abuse and becoming an example is a good goal for us now.

Unfortunately in today's world, we automatically go to the most depressing meaning about certain words. In fact, there are some who take pleasure in using these hurtful, “morphed” words against others as an intimidation tactic. Words seem to be much more emotional than ever before with all the social media communication we have available. Consider how these words have evolved. . .

• Bully used to mean sweetheart. Wow! Imagine saying, “Have a nice day, Bully.” Let your teen or FaceBook friends know that one right away.
• Spinster was an unmarried woman from a gentle family. Not really so bad.  
• Awful meant something inspiring "awe" or wonder, which is where the expression "the awful majesty of God" came from.
• Brave used to mean showy or gaudy. It might take some courage, matter of fact, to wear something gaudy or outlandish, who knows?
• Evil used to mean uppity. We probably know some people who fit this description and refer to them as stuck-up or big-headed.

Gossiping and quarreling are some more ways we destructively use speech and language. These are two of the most difficult behaviors to break. Neither do any good at all as they just keep the hurt going round and round. It’s really exhausting! And in the end, we hurt ourselves more than the other person.

No Quick Easy Answers

Humans have never really conquered the temptations of keeping our mouths quiet for long. We are fascinated with talking! We envision ourselves as charming and one whom others hang on their every word. We might just have these gifts, but still wrestle with finding the proper way to use them.

The best advice we can find would be in the Bible, as it is the voice of God Himself. If you are serious about changing past patterns, grab your Bible now and check these five out:

--Proverbs 20:19

--2 Corinthians 12:20

--Leviticus 19:16

--1 Timothy 5:13

--Proverbs 16:28

In the Peanuts comic strip, Lucy was the most “mouthy” one. Maybe we should all just claim Snoopy and Woodstock as our BFFs, as they had no “language” to utter!         

Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken at the right time. Proverbs 25:11 (AMP)