Are We There Yet?

By Chuck (Sharing Compassion)

Those that have had young children will recognize those words in the title. Many times we have packed the car and settled in for a few hour drive to a vacation spot. It seems we have gone only the first few miles and a voice from the back proclaims those words: "Are we there yet?" it is a voice of impatience and anticipation. They cannot see the big picture and only want to see the end result. I can't think of any parents that have not heard that question. It just seems to be part of parenting.

I wonder as Christians, how often we have asked that question of God in our hearts? We know our final destination and we know it is better than any favorite vacation spot. We look forward to eternity with anticipation. How often though do we get bogged down in everyday life? We get frustrated by running in every direction with never enough time. We struggle with trying to keep things balanced. We get disappointed by others and broken promises. In our frustration don't we sometimes whisper that phrase within our hearts? Not that we want our lives to end but we yearn for the peace, fellowship and perfection that heaven will bring. We know the promises that await us and our hearts yearn for that.

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Better With Age

By Pat

I have recently re-established contact with a couple of friends I have known since childhood, both of whom are devout Christians. In the past several months we have been praying for one another about the various problems we are facing now, and it has been just wonderful to connect with these ladies. I am so thankful that God has orchestrated this reunion. We are so much the same in many ways as when we were young...and yet so different. And the big difference is...age.

Society places so much emphasis on youth that it has become almost an embarrassment to show signs of aging. We are encouraged to buy expensive wrinkle creams, have our gray hair colored, and exercise to the point that we exhaust ourselves in our attempts to have the bodies and faces of young people. There are some women who become almost unrecognizable due to the many surgeries they have had so that they can maintain the appearance of youth, and I think it's very sad.

The things that make me where I am today in my faith walk and enable me to be more effective to God, are the experiences I have had along the way, and the struggles I have faced, the fears I have conquered, and the reliance on God that has grown stronger and stronger. My friends are the same way. We can now reach out and help one another in a much different way than we could have when we were younger. Our age has taught us valuable lessons, and we can now share these with one another in a richer, deeper way. We have learned patience, and that God's timing and ours do not usually coincide...and that's okay. We have learned that prayer and faith are the keys to getting along in life, and that the bond of friendship is one of the most wonderful gifts God has given us.

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One Word At A Time: Goals

By Ginny (MAD21)

What's the point? What are we trying to achieve by playing the game? These are questions I ask my kids when we are learning how do do something new. Then, we talk about how to accomplish that task. For soccer and gymnastics, you practice-practice-practice. For a board game, you play until you understand the rules enough that you start to form strategies.

I think the same could hold true when talking about life.  Just like in soccer or gymnastics, or when playing a board game, you have days when you just seem to be "on." You have full control over your feet and kick the ball exactly how you want; you flip over the bar and make a perfect landing; or you get all the right cards and dice rolls. Then there are those other kinds of days. When you are totally off your game, and nothing is going right. We all have good times and bad, moments of deep sorrow and times filled with pure joy. No matter the circumstance, we must never lose sight of the goal.

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Leftovers

By Michelle (Graceful, Faith in the Everyday)

Launching the Shop-Not Project felt good. When I embarked on my year-long hiatus from shopping last September, I felt noble…until a few months into it, that is, when I realized the flaw in my plan:

I was giving God the leftovers.

The Shop-Not Project works like this: My husband and I agree on a monthly personal cash allotment for each of us. I don’t spend any of that cash on clothes, jewelry, shoes, makeup or accessories – I don’t shop for any personal items for twelve months. At the end of each month, I take what’s left from my personal cash and tuck it into the envelope marked “Shop-Not Money.” At the end of the year, I donate what’s been saved to Compassion.

Sounds like the perfect plan, right? Like I said, noble and good. But read that second to last sentence again: At the end of each month, I take what’s left from my personal cash…

I take what’s leftover and give it to God. 

What I give to God depends on my spending habits for the month  – how many times I eat dinner out with friends, how many “necessary” items I purchase for home décor, how many low-fat grande mochas I sip. Some months I give most of my personal allotment to God; some months only $10 or $20. One month I gave nothing at all.

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One Word At A Time: Future

By Ginny (MAD21)

I'm going to let this video speak for itself. But as you listen to the story, I want you to ask yourself how this one act of kindness changed the lives and futures of all of those involved in this event. For the families who loved on and cheered for the other team, and for the players who thought they were coming to just lose another game, only to win so much more.

Do you know of any children who need you to "be in their corner?" I challenge you to get out of your comfort zone and love on them. Give them "reason to look ahead." Let our families never be too big or too busy to offer others hope for a better future.

"Until the time when we were mature enough to respond freely in faith to the living God, we were carefully surrounded and protected by the Mosaic law. The law was like those Greek tutors, with which you are familiar, who escort children to school and protect them from danger or distraction, making sure the children will really get to the place they set out for." (Galatians 3:23-24, The Message)

This post is a participant in a blog carnival over at Peter Pollock's place.
Be sure to go and check out what everyone else wrote on: Future.