Jan 26 HEAVEN'S LEANING OVER THE RAILS, WONDERING IF WE'LL BE AS COURAGEOUS AS GOD THINKS WE ARE.

Affirmation: I choose to be resilient. I move from competition to collaboration.

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Wholehearted Guidepost from Brené Brown 

Cultivating Creativity

BRENÉ'S INTENTION

This course is about learning to be wholehearted, which means engaging with the world from a place of worthiness. We started our journey in Part 1, and now it is time to bring it home.

Why Should You Set an Intention?

For me, setting intentions is a power move. It's how I bring clarity, meaning and purpose to my day, my meetings, a conference call and even daily conversations. Setting intentions helps you get clear about why you're doing something (clarity), why it's important to you (meaning) and how it moves you closer to your values (purpose).

The intention for this lesson is declaring, "I am a creative being." I can already hear people saying, "Is it okay to fake it until we make it? What if we don't believe that we are really creative people?" Remember: An intention is a starting place, something to reflect on. You can ask yourself to become awake to the possibility of your intention and to begin practicing it. As long as we are creating, we are cultivating meaning, and that is an important part of living a wholehearted life.

This Lesson's Intention

"I am a creative being."

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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!

What you decide in your heart will be done and the light of God will shine on your ways. Job 22:28

The Certain Decision for personal success is what fuels your actions from the active decision. The clarity of vision you maintain in your mind is directly proportional to the effectiveness of your actions. A decided heart is unwavering in the face of continual challenges and setbacks and that ensures victory and a lifetime of greater fulfillment.

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)

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Reading for Today

Walk in Grace. Live in Love by Bob Goff

Jan. 26

HEAVEN'S LEANING OVER THE RAILS, WONDERING IF WE'LL BE AS COURAGEOUS AS GOD THINKS WE ARE. 

It is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

EPHESIANS 2:8-10 

 

I remember when my daughter, Lindsey, took her first steps. She was my first child, so I had never witnessed the moment a person goes from the "not walk­ing" column to the "walking" one. For a few weeks, she would crawl and find the edge of the coffee table. Then she'd pull herself up, wondering if she should give it go. One fateful morning, after weeks of backing down, she made her first wobbly steps. Maria and I were holding out our arms, cheering and yelling. You would think she had just won the Iditarod the way we were carrying on.

 

Have you ever seen a parent watching their child take their first steps, who folds their arms and says nonchalantly "I've seen better"? Of course not! They're over the moon. I think that's how God sees us. He's not disappointed that we haven't already taken big steps or made big moves. He's already a few steps ahead of us, holding out His arms. He's waiting to see if we'll be as courageous as He thinks we are. When we take the step, He isn't surprised when we stumble, nor is He angry when we fall. He rushes toward us and scoops us into His arms.

 

A lot of people make God out to be an angry dad. I used to think God's expectation was perfection and that anything less made me a disappointment. No matter how hard I tried, I never believed I made God proud. But over the years I've come to realize God is far more like the proud parent who celebrates the steps rather than one who fixates on the stumbles. God delights in our every move, every brave step, no matter how small. Go make yours.

 

What small steps have you taken lately that God could be proud of?