February 16 LOVE DOES GREAT THINGS WITHOUT EXPECTING GREAT ATTENTION. BRIGHT LIGHTS DON'T NEED SPOTLIGHTS.

Affirmation: I love myself for who I am not who I “should” be.

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Wholehearted Guidepost from Brené Brown

Guidepost 9: Cultivating Meaningful Work, Letting Go of Self-Doubt and Supposed-To

YOUR SUPERPOWER AND YOUR KRYPTONITE

One of the first steps on the journey to finding meaning and purpose in our lives and in our work is acknowledging what we do well. €”These are our superpowers. Of course, we also have to get clear on our kryptonite.

RECOMMENDED MATERIALS

Your journal and crayons, markers, watercolors, cutout shapes, double-sided tape or any other art materials you might want to use to decorate your pages.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For this lesson'€™s creative assignment, we will identify our superpower as well as our kryptonite. Find two blank, facing pages in your journal and label the page on the left "Superpower." Then, label the page on the right "Kryptonite."

2. On the superpower page, think of a word or phrase that characterizes your superpower. Think about something you are really good at. Perhaps sometimes it has gotten you into trouble (especially as a child), but it is a quality that is deeply intrinsic to you, and it comes out in every aspect of your life. It is something you can't help, but it is also something that can be a very powerful force for meaning in your life.

3. On your kryptonite page, think of your superpower and your kryptonite as being two halves of the same coin. What is the aspect of yourself related to your superpower that does not always serve you well?

4. Finally, decorate both of these pages with any art materials you choose: photographs, paint, cutout shapes, stamps and/or drawings.

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Mastering the 7 Decisions from Andy Andrews 

The Certain Decision 

I have a decided heart.

It’s not about what it IS…

It’s about what it can BECOME!

HOPE, DREAMS, ANTICIPATION…DECIDE.

Scripture:

We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. -John 9:4 (NLT)

 

Reading:

There are some things which must be done today, things that you and you alone where created to accomplish. Some of us are wasting our time burning daylight when what we need to be doing is seizing the power of every moment. -From Chasing Daylight by Erwin McManus

 

Reflection:

The window of opportunity will close. The sun shining with good intentions will set. Your child will one day leave home. If you wait for the perfect moment on the perfect day…you will wait until you die.  The day to act…is today.

 

Blessing:

May you experience God’s presence in the present and thereby learn His plans for every given moment and follow it into whatever joy and struggles it brings.

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Reading for Today

Walk in Grace. Live in Love. by Bob Goff

Feb. 16

LOVE DOES GREAT THINGS WITHOUT. EXPECTING GREAT ATTENTION. BRIGHT LIGHTS DON'T NEED SPOTLIGHTS. 

Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others 

to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

MATTHEW 6:1 

 

Meteor showers top the list of my favorite shows in nature. There's nothing more awe-inspiring. You head out with blankets and friends and lie in a field on your back while you wait for heaven's fireworks. If you're like me and you don't know if it's Orion's belt or the Little Dipper you're looking at, you just point with confidence and guess. Who's going to know the difference?

 

Only a few mishaps-like rainstorms, skunks, and lights from the ground-can ruin these magical moments. Whether it's headlights from approaching cars or city lights in the distance, they steal the attention from the black velvet sky showing off the diamonds.

 

Man-made lights have a way of getting in the way of God's glory blazing through the sky.

 

I've noticed we do the same thing sometimes when we try to draw attention to our love. We'll make an extraordinary sacrifice in secret, lighting up a small corner of the world with our love, but then we try to shine a light on it and the glory is gone. Sure, we're supposed to be the light of the world, but spotlights make star lights go missing every time. When we opt to make it about us, it's like the insecure teenager inside of us turned on the truck lights and we couldn't see the beauty in the sky any longer.

 

The fix is as simple as stargazing. Quit standing up. Lie down. Let your love blaze in the night like a thousand stars. The less extra light we introduce, the better.

 

What secret loving thing can you do for someone this week?