lay my burdens down...

lay my burdens down. Instead of making resolutions for the New Year, I will lay down the burdens of this year at God's feet. I will let go of them and leave them in His hands.

I will not let the burdens that I carried this year plague me again in the New Year. I will do what I should have done all year, lay them at God's feet. And this time, when I lay my burdens down, I won't take them back! I will, in a sense, clean house. I'm going to throw out the garbage of whatever has happened this year. My mind, soul and heart will be cleansed of the clutter of 2010 that got me off track, made me stumble, or caused me unease. I will trust God to carry these burdens for me and I will trust Him with the outcome.

So, for today I will lay my burdens down. I'm cleaning house and I will get rid of the distress of 2010 and look forward in hope and faith toward a new beginning.

be thankful...

be thankful. It's Thanksgiving, so give thank to God for all His blessings.

Make your list of blessings and thank God for all that He has done for you and with you. That's it. Be thankful and grateful and blessed.

So, for today I will be thankful - for everything! Happy Thanksgiving!

let the walls come down...

let the walls come down. So many of us don't let the world see all of us. We want to put on a good front and only expose the very best parts of ourselves, even from those who are supposed to be closest to us.

For today, let the walls come down. With your spouse, a trusted friend, a loved parent - whomever - unmask one hidden part of you that you've never shared. Maybe it's an insecurity, maybe it's a terrible experience that hurt you, maybe it's a bad choice you made that impacted your life, maybe it's just the need to cry because you're so tired of being brave and strong and you just need to let it out emotionally without saying a word. Maybe it's even a secret ambition that you've been afraid others will mock. Let yourself be cleansed and freed by the experience. Being perfect isn't your job - that belongs to God - being true to yourself is. You don't have to pretend you are something that you aren't. If someone only cares about the "public" you, then they don't really love you.

So, for today let the walls come down. You will most likely find that the person you confide in feels honored and will admire you in a whole new light. They will see you as even more beautiful than you already are because you are genuine and real. Inner beauty is a different standard than society's version of pretty. Inner beauty has greater depth, more purity, and eternal significance. Let your inner beauty shine today.

share my story...

share my story. Share my testimony. Testimony? That's a word that tends to put some Christians in discomfort. It sounds so precise and structured and factual. Am I really well-versed enough in the teachings of Christ to give a testimony?

Yes, you are. This isn't about being a scholar, it's about sharing. Just talking with a friend or family member about what God has done for you. It's simple statements of "your" facts, "your" truth. Has God given you more peace? Do you feel comforted by His love? Do you feel guided by His hand? Do you no longer feel alone or confused? You don't have to be a preacher and you don't have to have all the answers. You just have to speak. You can do that. Just tell someone what God means to you, what He has done for your life, how He has helped you. That's it. It's that easy.

So, for today I will share my story. I will rejoice in telling someone about the blessings and love God has given me. I will just state "my" facts and I will pray that God can use my story to touch the heart of my friend/family member and bless them as much as He has blessed me.

let my light shine...

let my light shine. It's Friday. The end of the work week and the beginning of the weekend. Most people love Fridays because we get a break from some of the stresses and pressures of the world. So, while we start decompressing today - let's remember to still make sure that we let our light shine.

No matter what you are doing tonight and for the weekend, let your light shine so that all your good, decent, wonderful qualities come through. Jesus asked us to be His light on the earth, so make sure your light is shining on "high beam." In all your actions today let His mercy, His grace, His forgiveness, His caring, His joy, His tenderness, His eloquence, His patience, His consistency, His strength, and His love shine through you for all the world to see. You have no idea how your light may affect the life of someone else. Your politeness, kindness, support or even just a smile may actually change someone's world (and brighten yours). Don't underestimate His powers when He works through the light shining from you!

So, for today I will let my light shine. I will remember all the blessings I have and reflect God's beauty to the world. I will walk tall and proud, confident and joyful. I will smile, wave and be kind. I will feel His light shining through me. I will remember I am His representative today and I will honor that position and shine!

walk through the fire...

walk through the fire. Life can be filled with a lot of hurt, suffering and discouragement. Sometimes life seems to be hammering down on us every day in new ways that are overwhelming and devastating. Where do we find hope?

The bible says that if we walk with the Lord through the fires of life, we will not be burned. That means two things to me. 1) I've got to keep walking despite the conditions, and 2) I will make it to the other side. The first point is key - keep walking in faith. The verse doesn't say that you won't feel the heat, that you won't smell the fumes, you won't sweat, you won't almost succumb to the polluted air caused by the fire - it only says you will not be burned. So, I may feel the heat, I may get choked up by the fumes, I may stumble in the black clouds caused by the raging fire - but I will make it through the fire intact if I keep walking! God is walking with me and as long as I keep moving, He will make sure that He gets me to the other side with no permanent damage. I will not be burned!

So, for today I will walk through the fire. I will praise Him in the heat. I will see Him in the smoke. And, I will thank Him when I make it to the other side without being burned.

be ok with just being ok...

be o.k. with just being o.k. Do you ever have "blah" days? Do you sometimes lack inspiration or excitement during your day? How does that make you feel?

For me, when I am having a blah day I tend to beat myself up and tell myself that I should be in a better mood because of how blessed I am. And I do know that I'm blessed! So when I can't shake my blahs I begin to feel even worse for not being grateful or thankful enough. I also then examine why I have not set/reached new goals yet or changed my life in some significant way. It's amazing how hard we can be on ourselves. If our friend was down in the dumps, we would try to cheer them up with positive remarks - but when we feel a little low it's like we dig a deeper hole instead. So today I'm not going to beat myself up. I'm not going to make it worse. I'm just going to be o.k. with being o.k. I would love to always have the energy and inspiration to float through my day in praise and thankfulness, but I am not that perfect (not even close) and sometimes I only feel o.k. instead of terrific. And I think that's allowed sometimes.

So for today I will be o.k. with just being o.k. I won't make comparisons and examinations of the meaning of life today. I will just be o.k. with being o.k. and know that God will find the opportunities to give me whatever it is I may need on His time.