Live your life.

My sister said something profound today,

"I haven't been living my life lately, I've been letting life live me."

What she meant was that she felt like she didn't have any control.. she was just letting time carry her from one moment to the next. Hoping that somehow, even without taking responsibility for things, everything would be okay. Today she discovered that she needs to live again. Really live. This requires effort. It also requires humility to admit failures and vision to become who she was created to be.

This was a healthy reminder to me. Am I living? Or is life living me? Am I making wise decisions and being a good steward of what God has entrusted me with? My time? My money? My gifts? My relationships?

So I've decided the best thing to do is grab a holiday drink from Starbucks and.. once again.. engage in a heart-to-heart with God. The best way for me to do this is to journal.

I write my name. Then my roles. Then who I want to be remembered for in every role I have. Then I look at my week. How do I want to spend my time? Then my money. I decide how I'm doing.. like if I'm being generous or frivolous, or whatever. I think about anything that I need to do that I am putting off because of laziness, or procrastination. Then I put it in my schedule. Doing all of this reminds me that I am not a victim of my circumstances. It really doesn't matter what comes against me, it does not have to determine how I live.

When we are convinced in our hearts that we are secure in Christ, we no longer get tossed around by hardships. It doesn't mean that we won't have struggles.. the Bible promises that we will have trials. But Jesus also tells us to "take heart" because He has overcome the world. In Christ we are over-comers.

Without vision, we go astray, we get caught up, distracted, and overwhelmed. We live be default rather than living with purpose. Vision get us back on track.

That sister of mine is a wise lady.

Okay now, its time to grab a latte and get back on track. Perhaps I'll see you at Starbucks.

Proverbs 29:18 The Message (MSG)

If people can't see what God is doing,
they stumble all over themselves;
But when they attend to what he reveals,
   they are most blessed.