'Give it up and let Jesus take over'

Have you ever had a "near miss". Whether it is a car passing too close or a slip where you almost fall; a near miss can leave your heart pounding.

The circumstance determines the outcome of its effect on your life. This morning, I took inventory--I had a near miss of what I felt to be life or death.

Starting the day as usual, a stabbing pain suddenly hit me in the back and went to the front of my chest. It took my breath, brought me to tears and screaming for help.

My husband came to my immediate aid. We began to call on the Lord. With tears rolling down my face, not only did the pain grip my chest, but so did fear.

Suddenly, I felt unsure about leaving this earth and meeting my Saviour, Jesus. Crying out to Him, I was ashamed at my reluctance. Realizing that I wanted to see my children and grandchildren again.

Saddened by the thought that I might not be able to say I love you to all the people in my life again. My husaband on his knees praying for God's mercy and intervention through tears of his own. We both knew it was serious.

In a few minutes time the pain lessened, but I was left feeling weak, very, very weak. Wisdom would say I should have gone--and probably still should--go to the doctor, I decided to remain at home.

I wanted to take the time to "get it together" with the Lord and my life. Things I thought I had already done. I want to be ready at any moment to let this world go. To do that, I must seriously turn all my concerns, responsibilities and wordly goods to Jesus.

If you have not already, allow me to encourage you today; be ready. Ready to trust the Lord with our loved ones and our lives.

I'm working on making sure of something I already thought I knew. As one of my favorite songs reads: "give up and let Jesus take over", I realize I must apply the words to my heart.

God's Blessings my friends! I love you.

I was once one of 'those'

The "holidays" are past and now we are moving into a new year.

I am thankful for the time of reflection of our Kings birth--Jesus--as we celebrated Christmas. The gift He gave us through His birth, death and resurrection can never be matched. Because of this great gift, we can have life everlasting, with Him.

As we embark on our journey into the new year, many people feel excitement, because all things seem new. Old opportunities become fresh again, and dreams are in full color. Most begin to plan in the last few months of the "old" year about what to do differently in the new.

This year I am purposing to draw closer to my Lord and serve Him with fervency. To do so requires sacrifices of time, energy and finances. Weighing the odds of materialism versus spirituality is vital in achieving this purpose.

There are those who woke up January 1, 2010 still on the park bench or in the card board box they lay down in December 31, 2009. Or the single mom with track marks throbbing from near infection due to dirty needles. Her baby lying next to her or in another room needing food and a change. Perhaps they too, awoke with hope that this year would bring a fresh start for them. But, somehow it seems impossible.

As Christians we are commissioned to reach out to those around us and tell them of the good news of Christ Jesus. There is hope in the hopeless and help for the helpless through Jesus. As a result of my reflection this season, and my pointed purpose; when weighing the odds, the scales tipped in the favor of pursuing the Lord with my whole heart, mind and soul.

You see, I was once one of "those" who woke up in the park on a crisp Janaury morn. My hope quickly dashed by despair, then I met a man named Jesus.

Someone reached out to me and told me about the only hope. How about you? Will you reach out this year, this day, this week or month to someone near you and offer them the hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ?

Photo: http://creativecommons/flickr/decafinata

What keeps you from achieving your dream?

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Remember asking yourself that question. When school was finished, you went on to pursue your "dream". You may have become an architect, attorney, nurse or a professional clown. Yet, something is missing.

You can't put your finger on it. Your life has all the trappings of success and happiness, but, you get up, go to work, plod through the day, go home, yada yada. You feel drained, or perhaps even cheated. Worse yet, you feel guilty for feeling unfulfilled. Unfounded guilt--life was designed with each individual and their happiness in mind.

Most people are stuck in life doing what they think they have too, because the alternative--true happiness--is seemingly impossible. After all, doing what we love means taking risks. Do you feel like stepping outside the norm is just too hard, or would cause too many waves?

There's the money, the insurance and other peoples ideology for our life; all of which are controlled by others. Accountability is imperative in life; however, we should be making our choices in life on purpose.

My eye-opener came on a snowy morning at work when I learned a friend of mine died suddenly--alone--in his apartment from heart disease. He was only 52. A life of the party kind of guy, he loved life, or so it seemed. We talked about his work at a Fortune 500 company on occasion and he expressed: "it pays the bills". I never got to talk to him, or see him alive again. Determined I would not end up going through the motions of life anymore, I set about to find my purpose.

A pastors wife and former business administrator, I asked myself some questions: Why am I here, and what am I supposed to be doing. The answers did not fall into my head and heart right away. It took some serious soul searching. Looking inward, and not outward to other sources (apart from Jesus). Happily married and serving alongside my husband in the ministry was great, but something was missing.

I first had to discover my passion--what really makes me tick. Once I found my passion, I could pursue my purpose through my passion.

My life was and continues to be centered around ministering--it is part of my passion. My spiritual life keeps me grounded and centered.

To find true passion, purpose and fulfillment, we must deal with our body, mind and spirit. By creating a balance, happiness is attainable.

Granted, it is not always easy. The road is up and down, but, staying the course to fulfill your purpose will lead you to the place of achieving your dream.

Share some of your challenges, dreams and journeys as it relates to discovering your purpose in the comments section. Let's meander along life's path together.