January 14: Aim For Amazing

Affirmation: Asking for help is a gift to myself and others.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:7-8‬ ‭NIV‬‬
Remember to ask God for help, too.

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Ponder: Read these verses over about 5 times to begin memorizing. Think about when you celebrate. Paul is instructing us to celebrate always, no matter the circumstance or situation. Ponder that idea today. 

”Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.‭‭ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.“‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭4-7 NIV‬‬

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Chasing Whimsy by Bob Goff

                       Jan 14

Aim For Amazing 
“The whole earth is filled with all at your wonders…” Psalm 65:8

We all know what a maze is. Perhaps you have been in a corn maze at a fall festival or in a boxwood hedge maze in England. You enter a narrow area, which leads to other narrow areas, and follow a path, not knowing where it will lead. Mazes are all about confusion. This is where the root of the word “amazing” comes from. The definition was revised over time to also include a sense of childlike wonder. Think of amazing as equal parts, confusion and delightful wonder. That’s what I think we should be aiming for in life.

Depending on our beliefs, biases, and the stories we have adopted for ourselves, some of us will aim for small, safe, predictable results. Others will swing for the fence and be huge risk takers. What if, instead of shooting for something really big or something really small, we aim for our lives to be amazing?

Doing a big thing like climbing Mount Everest isn’t necessarily an indicator of someone who is living an amazing life. It is equally likely this person is on a hedonistic bender or just looking for applause or approval. People who think they have everything figured out are also usually not living amazing lives. They’re living, according to their prescribed box of how things should go in their own minds and possibly missing out and even greater things God has in mind.

To live a truly amazing life, you must leave room for the delightful wonder, ushered in by a lack of certainty about the result. When you don’t know precisely what will happen moment by moment, when you follow a path, God leads you to without telling you everything that will happen along the way, you open yourself up to amazing. No matter your age, you’ve got 20 pounds of goodness to be collected for release into the world and a 5 pound bag of time to fit it in.

Surround yourself today with people who are aiming for amazing and make room for the right stuff.~~~~~~~

More to Ponder (From The Bible App)
Cling to God’s Promises
What do you think about? 
The thoughts you fill your mind with are crucial because what you cling to influences your worldview. 
If you choose to dwell on God’s promises, you start to recognize God’s blessings during uncertain times. Trusting that God will redeem your present pain equips you to walk forward in faith and keep on fighting. 
Isaiah 12:2 reminds us that we belong to a God who is faithful to keep His promises. This God rescues us and fights for us. So when we belong to God, we have nothing to fear—all we need to do is cling to God and wait on Him to act. 
So as you walk forward today, reflect on some of God’s amazing promises, and let them transform the way you think: 
God will sustain you. (Psalm 55:22)
God’s peace will guard your heart. (Philippians 4:7)
God delights over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)
God will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. (Psalm 32:8)
God is your refuge and strength, your help in times of need. (Psalm 46:1)
In all things, you are more than a conqueror because God loves you. (Romans 8:37)
God will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
God’s perfect love casts out all your fear. (1 John 4:18)
Nothing can separate you from God’s love. (Romans 8:38-39)
God’s not done with you. God’s not done with you. God’s not done with you. (Philippians 1:6)