 I have always been a fan of sci-fi and of fantasy movies. If you ask my why, I would not be able to explain. But I will line up to see Star Wars, Star Trek, and Lord of the Rings type of films. I just enjoy them. One of my favorites was the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. In the last film of the trilogy, one of the main characters and his friend find themselves at what they believe is the end of their journey and believe that their death is imminent. Frodo Baggins says a phrase that I have repeated often “…here, at the end of all things.”
Within the span of a week I have been informed of the passing of a former co-worker; the passing of a former co-worker’s husband; and the passing of a co-worker’s sister – all under 70 years old. God has told us that time is like a vapor – that it appears for a little while, and then it is gone (James 4:14). We know from our own personal experiences how fragile and temporary life is. So I wonder when we come to “…the end of all things,” what will we feel was the purpose of our lives. Did we focus:
At the end of all things, what will be said about our lives? To God Be The Glory For All That He Has Done Blessings - Janice
0 Comments
 Often when you hear that term “MayI have a moment?” it generally means that the person is asking for some time, a little bit of time to process or to get their emotions under control; a kind of time out. I have been wondering about the Christian’s ability to ask the Lord for a moment?
May I have a moment Lord to:
I wondered about my ability as a Christian, to have a moment to experience those feelings – not simply to experience them, but the ability to ask the Lord for that moment. And in that moment of feeling a ‘certain kind of way,’ also quickly recalling that He:
I have had, and no doubt will have those times when I need a moment – when I am asking God to allow me just a moment to feel that certain kind of way. However, even in asking God for that moment, I am reflective of all the ways in which He asks me and supports me in moving past those feelings (II Peter 3:18 “ But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”) My prayer and goal is that I will grow to need less of those moments, but for now, I thank Him for His grace and mercy as I move along this Christian path. To God Be The Glory For All That He Has Done Blessings – Janice  Last week I spent a lot of time thinking about the word “expectation.” It came about because as I was describing my actions to several people; I would always add, “…but I wasn’t doing it in order to receive something back.” Meaning I was not doing it expecting something back in return. Somewhere in the third or forth telling of my story, I asked myself why I had to keep adding that disclaimer. It then became clear to me that in some way I must have been expecting something in return as a result of my actions. I am clear that my actions were not done in order to receive something back, yet on some level, I expected something. Expectation is often defined as “a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future.” So, as I was doing things for others, there was some part of me that had “a strong belief that something would be the case in the future.” That something took many different forms – “friendship,” “respect,” “kindness,” “understanding,” etc. Again, the actions I had taken were not done in order to receive “friendship,” “respect,” “kindness,” or “understanding,” but some part of me had expectations that those things would be received. As I pondered the word expectation and what role it had in my actions, I had to determine if it lined up with a Christian’s life. I determined that it did not line up. Luke 6:34-35 states “And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” Matthew 6:3-4 states “But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” Acts 20:35 states “I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, it is more blessed to give than to receive.” In the above scriptures the Lord is telling Christians that they should give/take actions without expecting anything in return. In fact, Christians should seek to give/take actions with the least amount of fanfare, understanding that the Lord sees your actions, and He will reward you. My goal is to now give/take actions freely without expecting anything in return. I think it will take time to get there, but I believe this attitude will bring freedom. Glory to God for All That He Has Done Blessings - Janice Life Transitions Christian Coaching  Regret, what a loaded word. For some reason that word has entered my thoughts a few times over the past couple of weeks. Generally, the word regret is associated with a negative circumstance. I think of the phrase “I regret to inform you…,” or “I look back over my life with regret…” In both of these phrases, there is an undesirable connotation.
Regret is often defined as a feeling of sadness, repentance, or disappointment over something that has happened or been done. I suspect that most individuals would be able to describe some level of regret in their lives. What crossed my mind is the thought that if you can articulate regret, are you able to articulate what you can do to address or lessen the regret. The nine most common regrets that people have at the end of their lives include:
When I look at this list, I think to myself that if God’s wakes you tomorrow, you have an opportunity to address any regret. As you look at the list, which ones resonate with you? Are you spending too much time at work? Is there something you feel you should be doing to be a better spouse, parent, child, or friend? Do you want to take better care of yourself? Do you need to repair a relationship? Is there a dream you have postponed or been afraid to follow? Let me encourage you to seize the day (Carpe Diem) and begin to live a “regret free” life. Ask God for His guidance and trust in His promises. Let Philippians 3:13-14 serve as an encouraging scripture – “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Glory To God For All That He Has Done Blessings – Janice |
Janice CaldwellAssociate Certified Coach, ICF Archives
September 2021
Categories |
RSS Feed
