November 27 You Can’t Climb Your Way To God’s Favor…

Affirmation: Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be Beautiful. (This affirmation is a favorite of mine😍)

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Ponder, Personalize, Practice: Today continue to ponder & memorize 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Then practice giving thanks in all circumstances. Write it down, add this verse to your calendar for each day.😊

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”                1 Thessalonians 5:18

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Wholehearted Guidepost from Brené Brown

Guidepost 7: Cultivating Play and Rest, Letting Go of Exhaustion as a Status Symbol and Productivity as Self-Worth

DIG Deep

GET DELIBERATE

What brings joy and meaning into your life? One of the activities that has been transformative for me (and that I continue to do) was sitting down and creating a Joy and Meaning list with my family. We thought about all the great times we had together and wrote down the ingredients of what made us feel good about who we were and fostered our connection to one another. Now, it's your turn to create a Joy and Meaning list. I like to think about this as backing into a recipe. Think of two or three times over the course of a day, a week or even a weekend when you felt grounded and joyful. What was happening? We're looking for four to six essential ingredients. Write them down in your journal.

GET INSPIRED

The definition of courage in this course is sharing your story with your whole heart. Feel free to share your Joy and Meaning list, your PLAYlist and/or your properties of play by posting them on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #OLCBreneCourse! You can also share with a supportive friend or family member anything else that inspired you this week: a valuable phrase from the lesson, creative work from your journal, or an inspiration from your everyday life.

GET GOING

I want you to play for 15 minutes this week. I really want you to try something from your PLAYlist, and I want you to stay mindful of the internal and external pushback. Journal prompt: What did you do? How did it feel? What were the gremlins saying? What are you up against? Remember that we can't get going until we know what's stopping us.
Today, I am at Busch Gardens with 5 of our grandchildren! It’s a play date!

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Mastering the 7 Decisions from Andy Andrews 

The Persistent Decision 

7. I WILL PERSIST WITHOUT EXCEPTION.

I possess the greatest power ever bestowed upon mankind. I hold fast to my dreams. I stay the course. I do not quit.

I acknowledge that most people quit when exhaustion sets in, but I am not “most people.”

I am stronger than most people. Average people compare themselves with other people, and that is why they remain average.

I compare myself to my potential. I am not average. I see exhaustion as a precursor to victory. By persisting without exception, my outcome—my success—is assured.

It is my wish that you have gained something positive and productive from reading about these seven decisions.

I strongly believe that there is nothing you can’t do if you have the proper mindset and conviction.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.

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Reading for Today

Walk in Grace. Live in Love. by Bob Goff

November 27

You Can’t Climb Your Way To God’s Favor. Jesus Catapulted You There.

“A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector, and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short, he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.” Luke 19:2–4

I have spent a lot of my life trying to be righteous. But there is a difference between being righteous and being like Jesus. If you only try to be righteous, you missed the big picture. Try to be like Jesus and you get righteousness as a byproduct.

You know the story of Zacchaeus, that little guy who climbs a tree so he can see Jesus? He was a despised tax collector. He felt like he needed to get above the crowd to get noticed by the Savior – or maybe to get out of slingshot range from his neighbors. 
Thankfully, the story of Zacchaeus didn’t end with him dangling in a tree, nor does mine or yours. Jesus pushed through the crowd, walked right up to Zacchaeus, and told him He would be his house guest. The crowd grumbled at this favor shown to a tax collector, and I bet Zacchaeus nearly fell off the top branch.

Zacchaeus knew he was a cheat and his money was ill gotten (a behavior he changed, by the way). You might think the point of the story is to be the opposite of the thieving Zacchaeus, but it’s not. Instead of trying to stop a few bad behaviors, Jesus is more interested in our transformation – and helping us become more like Him.

Jesus freed us from the game of trying to earn His attention or favor. We have got it already. We can stop auditioning for a part we already have. When we accept how loved we are, we stop, climbing, stop striving, and pretending. When we become more like Him, we will find righteousness comes with the deal.

In what ways have you been transformed this year?