Risky Business

I have been taking risks every day. Haven't bungee jumped or parachuted. What have I done? I've put myself out there. Asked for opportunities at the risk of rejection. Said yes. Said no. Risked embarrassment. Which is scarier, doing something physically risky or emotionally so? I think it might be the later.

So have the risks paid dividends? Absolutely, but not in the way I hoped - YET? I didn't die. I even grew stronger. I've had opportunities I wouldn't have had. You want to know what it means to abide in Christ? That's what you do when you are scared to death but do it anyway. Learning that. Had to confront once again insecurities I thought I'd dealt with. This time I got them before they stopped me. That is a pay off for sure.

I'm not stopping, but it's not because of the benefits of risk taking. I'm not stopping because right when I start to doubt myself, God, and I do believe it is God gives me a miraculous encouragement to continue. This week, someone said, "Every opportunity you get is by Divine Design. It's not an accident. Steward your gifts." Won't go into the details, but you talk about a right word spoken at a right time to a needy heart!

Two take aways. One- those people that have unknowingly been instruments that God has played to encourage someone else to continue to live the best and scariest life don't many times even know that a note has come out of them - much less a rhapsody. So, take opportunity to say what is on your heart to those who you come into contact with today. Two - listen to your heart and when it is prompted to take a risk, go for it. Life doesn't have to be a risky business, but try it; it might be a whole lot more fun and rewarding that way. So, take a risk today, and tell me about it. Respond to this blog or drop me an email - jennifervwatson@gmail.com. Blooming in autumn on this beautiful day!

A good mantra, but I didn't know it.

God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him.

How many times was that said when our kids were small? I remember we thought it was important to teach them to pray using their own words instead of a "canned" prayer. I'm thinking we should have focused on believing the words of the prayer rather than changing them.

God is great. He can do anything. He is greater than the world. He is greater than me, greater than the weather, the economy, the bad guys, the government, my fears. He is able and capable. God is great.

When Jesus is about to do something harder than I will ever have to do - willingly give himself up to be crucified, He says to God, (Mark 14:36 in my words) "God, it is possible for you to do anything. You can change this situation, but not what I will, but what You will." God didn't change the hard thing, but in doing the hard thing, God used Jesus to make it possible for all of mankind to be saved. Oh, to trust God's ability to be in control of every situation and then for me to willingly do even the difficult so that I can be used to fulfill the purpose for which I was created.

God is good. He is good, and His definition of good is pure. He knows the big picture and can use anything for good, for my personal good, the good of my family and friends, the good of mankind, the good of the whole world. His idea of good is greater than mine. God is good.

Luke 5:17-26. Some men believed that Jesus could heal their paralyzed friend. Since they couldn't get to him, they lowered their friend down through the roof right in front of Jesus. The scripture says that Jesus, seeing their faith, tells the man that his sins are forgiven. Which is "gooder" - to have everlasting life for eternity, or to walk for a few years, to be spiritually healed or physically? Jesus knew what the man's real needs were and met them, but just to be show the people who He was and what He could do, He healed the man physically as well. The result was the men were astonished and proclaimed that they had seen remarkable things. God was glorified. If I believe that God is good, will I see the remarkable and be astonished?

Let us thank Him.Thank Him for my food for sure. Thank Him for the times He meets my needs, and that I have needs to be met. Thank Him for healing, physically, emotionally, spiritually. Thank Him that I have needs to be healed, that I can be astonished by how He does this. Let me thank Him.

Reading a book, One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp. She points out that when Jesus seemingly did not have enough - two fish and five loaves of bread to feed thousands - He gave thanks. Immediately, what He needed was multiplied. (John 6:11 says that the people had as much as they wanted. It was an all you can eat buffet. Let me thank Him and watch. At the minimum, I will notice what He is doing instead of taking things for granted.

So today, I pray, God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him. Will you join me?

Is it really all about who you know, or something like that?

Went to a seminar given by a psychiatrist, Curt Thompson, M.D., who has written a book titled Anatomy of the Soul. The material was fresh, certainly not the same ‘ol same ‘ol. Yet, as I think about what I’m taking away from the class, the word that keeps coming to mind is the word “confirmed.” The new material confirmed some thoughts that have been on my mind.One of the first concepts was to talk about how important it is for us to be known by at least a few others – not for others to just know us, know who we are, but to be known by them. This is true. Anyone who has experienced a moment when another person totally understands you knows the powerful feelings that correspond to that moment. God created us knowing we would relish being known. Read I Corinthians 8:3 and 13:12 to be reminded that God Himself knows you.

But if you don’t know who you are, how do you know if someone else truly knows you or not? You might have a good feeling about someone, but you can’t figure out why you feel that, so is your need to be known ever met?

We listened to very scientific material that discussed how Neurobiology and Faith were interconnected. Even after I read the book, I don’t know if I will be able to write anything understandable about specifics of this topic. I certainly won’t try now.

But, some of the more simple concepts I could relate to immediately. How about the fact that the commandment given most often in the Bible is “Do not fear.” Ahh, fear. What are the main things you fear? I fear the unknown. There it is again – the known factor. How can my faith eliminate that fear? By knowing what God says He is doing and knowing who He is, I can “be not afraid.”

I fear rejection. How do I combat those fears? I act on what I know I am called to do regardless of fear. The more I do that, the less I fear rejection. Is there any promise I won’t be rejected? No. But when I don’t act because of fear, I am unfulfilled and feel like my life doesn’t have purpose. That is worse than fear to me.

I fear for my children’s safety. As I discover my own purpose and calling, I come to see that every person created is made for a purpose and calling, and I can’t let me fear stand in the way of what my children are called to do or go through.

So, I have confirmation. I need to be known. I need to know others. I need to believe that God knows me, and I can know Him. I can know what I was created to do, and that gives me peace and purpose. It combats fear.

So, how do you get to know yourself? How do you come to know and be known, a need that was created in us? There are many things you can do, but one is to come to a playshop where we have a lot of fun while discovering the answers to these questions. If you don’t know what a PlayShop is or you want to read about them, go to www.unwrittentravels.com. Hit the “play” tab. At the bottom of that screen click on the blue sentence that says “click here for the details on the PlayShop offerings for 2011!