Proactive or Reactive?

No this isn't one of those comments about face wash!
One of the things I've been mulling over is the importance of being proactive in my thought life.  I know myself pretty well, having 30ish years of experience with myself.  I can you that I have, on PLENTY of occasions, been reactive with my thoughts.  What does that mean?  Here's an example:
I wake up, feeling tired and kind of "gray".  Nothing bad, but nothing good either.  A thought comes to mind, and there's just a hint of something in the content that makes me feel insecure.  I start to doubt myself, start to mosey into the land of "I'm not really valuable."  And bam.  My day goes south, I'm sad, and I'm probably going to cry.  A lot.
I do this with my identity, my worth, my skill set, my relationships, my health, and on and on it goes.
This is not the way I want to live, nor do I think God created me to be defeated.
Now, I would never really mentally tell myself "I sure am defeated in this area", and yet my life is lived out that way.  Bingo!  The way we live often tells a true story of our beliefs.
Bouncing back from defeat is hard.  And so the brilliant thought hits me: why don't I head it off before I get to that point?
Eh?
Yes!
Rather than being reactive in taking my thoughts captive and reminding myself of God's truths, I can take the initiative to do those things BEFORE I get defeated.
Rough patches will come, I am sure of it.  Yet it does not need to dominate my thinking.  I am a child of God.  I have been chosen at a high price and redeemed.  God has designed me with skills and empowered me with His Spirit.  I am made to worship Him with my ENTIRE LIFE.
I can choose to live like it ahead of time.  I don't want to wait until I NEED to remember this to bring it to the top of my mind.  I want to wake up and live each moment knowing that I'm God's and I'm living for Him, and what He says--even about me--is true!
What about you?

What are you doing this year?

Yes, its a new year and we're a week into it already!  Last week the big hype I saw most places was regarding resolutions and goals.  Now that about 10 days have passed, can you still remember the goals you might have made?  Or has life just sort of...happened...and the goals you made have faded from mind? Were the items you listed of meaning and value to you, or were they just something that sounded good but you have no personal passion about truly following through with them?
Here's a little somethin' somethin' I've been thinking about:  top of mind positioning.
What?
Yes.
This is a term I've heard with gaining exposure by making at least 3 points of contact.  But as I think it over, I think the concept applies to goals, dreams, and resolutions.  If you sincerely want to see that goal come to fruition you must be intentional about nurturing it.  It must be given thought daily so that it does not get lost in daily life and go dormant.
So if you're goals are valuable to you, what are you doing to ensure they are acted upon each and every day?  Don't settle.  Don't grow apathetic.  Don't let life pass you by--you are in the driver's seat!  Where will you take this year?

Been A While!

I know I've been absent for a goodly chunk of time recently, but very soon I'll have more content up and running.  Plan on stopping here in the days ahead!
Happy New Year!
-Timmery

Psalm 40

Psalm 40 (The Message)

A David Psalm

 ^1-3 I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened.
   He lifted me out of the ditch,
      pulled me from deep mud.
   He stood me up on a solid rock
      to make sure I wouldn't slip.
   He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,
      a praise-song to our God.
   More and more people are seeing this:
      they enter the mystery,
      abandoning themselves to God.

 ^4-5 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God,
      turn your backs on the world's "sure thing,"
      ignore what the world worships;
   The world's a huge stockpile
      of God-wonders and God-thoughts.
   Nothing and no one
      comes close to you!
   I start talking about you, telling what I know,
      and quickly run out of words.
   Neither numbers nor words
      account for you.

 ⁶ Doing something for you, bringing something to you—
      that's not what you're after.
   Being religious, acting pious—
      that's not what you're asking for.
   You've opened my ears
      so I can listen.

 ^7-8 So I answered, "I'm coming.
      I read in your letter what you wrote about me,
   And I'm coming to the party
      you're throwing for me."
   That's when God's Word entered my life,
      became part of my very being.

 ^9-10 I've preached you to the whole congregation,
      I've kept back nothing, God—you know that.
   I didn't keep the news of your ways
      a secret, didn't keep it to myself.
   I told it all, how dependable you are, how thorough.
      I didn't hold back pieces of love and truth
   For myself alone. I told it all,
      let the congregation know the whole story.

 ^11-12 Now God, don't hold out on me,
      don't hold back your passion.
   Your love and truth
      are all that keeps me together.
   When troubles ganged up on me,
      a mob of sins past counting,
   I was so swamped by guilt
      I couldn't see my way clear.
   More guilt in my heart than hair on my head,
      so heavy the guilt that my heart gave out.

 ^13-15 Soften up, God, and intervene;
      hurry and get me some help,
   So those who are trying to kidnap my soul
      will be embarrassed and lose face,
   So anyone who gets a kick out of making me miserable
      will be heckled and disgraced,
   So those who pray for my ruin
      will be booed and jeered without mercy.

 ^16-17 But all who are hunting for you—
      oh, let them sing and be happy.
   Let those who know what you're all about
      tell the world you're great and not quitting.
   And me? I'm a mess. I'm nothing and have nothing:
      make something of me.
   You can do it; you've got what it takes—
      but God, don't put it off.

Master of Pastoral Care and Counseling

Baccalaureate and Hooding Ceremony on Thursday with Jennifer and Ting.  We made it!