Encouraging and empowering people to live victorious lives in Christ

Archive for March, 2025

How’s your year going?

As we are approaching the end of March (can you believe it?), we are also approaching the end of the first quarter of 2025.  This time is a great opportunity to assess where we are with the goals we set at the beginning of the year. It’s also a great time to make sure we heard God clearly on the things we decided to do.

Proverbs 16:1 and 9 say this:

“The preparations of the heart belong to man,

But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.”

and

“A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.”  

(NKJV)

One commentary on the book of Proverbs notes that “people design what they will say and do, but the Lord decrees what will endure and form part of his eternal purposes”   So, it’s ok for us to make plans.

So, how do Christians plan?  We’re not making plans in a vacuum; we plan in the context of the Word of God and what God is saying to us about a particular thing.  We pray for and seek wisdom as we begin to make plans, and we are open to hearing the Holy Spirit if we need to course correct or adjust.  We are flexible.

I believe it’s the second part of verse 9 that reminds us of the importance of being flexible.  If the Lord leads us in a different direction, we should trust in that guidance and move appropriately. Notice I said “The Lord.” I am an advocate of seeking wise counsel, but at the same time, our relationship with God should be living and active so we can clearly hear what He is saying to us (and He can certainly use the voice of wise counsel to assist us). And just because we made a particular plan doesn’t mean we have to stick with it if it is no longer the right thing for us to do.  Don’t let your pride get in the way of shifting plans and focus as needed!

As we lean into the direction and guidance we receive from God, and “commit your actions to the Lord, [then] your plans will succeed.” (Proverbs 16:3, NLT).  Do you want to be successful?  I believe God wants that for us also!  Let’s follow what the Word of God says about planning, setting goals, course correcting and success.

I encourage you to take some time today (or over the next couple of days) to assess where you are with the plans you made at the beginning of the year, and seek God to determine if any adjustments need to be made, so that you can experience success the way God intended!

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Have a great day!

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God is a Keeper!

The last few weeks have been extremely busy!  Between a hectic work schedule (things have slowed down for a couple of weeks, thank goodness), speaking and teaching assignments, and just “life,” my stress level has been high.  I’ve gotten out of my routine of working out regularly and eating healthy (slowing getting back into those things now).  Since we’re now in the season of Lent, I am intentionally trying to slow down a bit in my morning routine so I can reset.

During my prayer time yesterday, I began to reflect on my life over the last 18 months.  I may have shared before that back in September of 2023, I was laid off from my job of almost 25 years.  I started thinking about my journey from that last day when I mailed in my laptop, cell phone and badge, until now. From participating in career counseling, to getting jobs (and all the rejection letters that came before the job offers) and learning new industries, I can truly say that God has kept me!  Tears of gratitude began to flow! It has been, and continues to be, an adventure of ups and downs, but the one constant over this time period is God.  All of my needs have been met (and I do mean ALL), I’ve met new people who have expanded my network, and I am learning to exercise my faith in a greater way. 

I was talking to a friend the other day, and she acknowledged that the anniversary of her father’s transition has just passed.  At that moment, I realized that the anniversary of my grandmother’s transition had also just passed (she’s been with the Lord for 5 years).  Do you recall what was happening 5 years ago this month? It was the beginning of the COVID global pandemic.  My mind went back to that time when my family was trying to plan a funeral when no one understood what was happening, and how sad we were that we couldn’t give her the homegoing service she deserved because of the shutdowns.  But through all of that, God kept us!

If you were to look over your life, I believe you would come to the same conclusion!  God has kept you!  Even if life is hard for you right now, you can still reflect on what God has done for you in the past.  Let those memories remind you of His goodness and His power, and keep you focused on the fact that if He’s kept you before, He can do it again!

God is a keeper!

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Be blessed!

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