Transitional Friday: Home is where Heart is

home where heart isFor years I was unhappy with where I was living.  I did not want to be there.  I was fighting a spiritual battle, between what I wanted and what God wanted for my life.

There were times when the situation weighted so heavily on my heart that it gnawed away at me and I became angry.

Then a few months ago, God opened amazing doors for a new job in a new city an hour away.

I realized during this time that the place I’d been fighting living, had become more of a home than I ever expected or anticipated.give thanks

Only once I had left, did I realize how much this town and place had become home.

Often we don’t realize how important a place or person is until they are gone.

We are told to be “thankful in all things.”

This isn’t always easy, especially in trying circumstance.  I’ve really struggled with this lesson at times.

However, that is exactly what God wants for us.

What have you been thankful in?

Transitional Friday: When God Answers Prayers

answers

 

 

 

 

I’ve discussed discouragement and waiting for God, but eventually He will answer?

However, what happens once you finally have prayers answered?

I’ve had prayers answered that showed me this was not God’s will for my life and took me down a dark path.  I’ve also had prayers answered that only God could orchestrate and proved this was God’s will for my life.

God answeres prayers

  1. Thank God for answered prayers
  2. Ask God if this is His will for my life
  3. Understand the lessons God has been teaching along the path
  4. Praise God for His blessings and provision
  5. Remember that God likes to show off to show what He can do
  6. The lesson in the wait is Faith, but we can’t abandon it once our prayers are answered
  7. Sometimes we have to get out of the boat and take the first step in faith

Transitional Friday: Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayer

God hearsFor years I waited, longing and struggling to change and improve my circumstances and situation.  After leaving an abusive relationship, the journey to heal and recover took years.

I wondered if I would ever find the person I’d lost along the path.

I longed to be able to stand on my own two feet and to find a way to do this, but nothing seemed to be working.

I wondered if God heard my cries and prayers!  Had He forsaken me!  Would my circumstances ever improve?

Don’t get me wrong, my circumstances weren’t awful and were a whole lot better than they had been in the abusive relationship.  I just wanted more to my life.  There are still things, such as a family, that only God knows if and when that prayer will be answered.

God reminded me:God answers

  1. His reasons are often beyond are grasp
  2. He hears all of our prayers, cries, and tears
  3. His way is better than my way
  4. He is preparing me for a future that only He knows
  5. His timing is not my timing
  6. Sometimes His answer is no or not right now
  7. It’s not all about me.  There are times we are where we are to help someone else.  One example is being a caregiver.

What have you learned in the wait?

Transitional Friday: 10 Lessons I learned from Job Searching

not hiring

 

 

 

 

 

Even before unemployment kicked in, I spent two years searching for a position.

Searching for a job is very overwhelming and frustrating.

What I learned is:got work

  1. There are so many options it is overwhelming
  2. There are times when there seems to be no options to choose from
  3. Narrowing down a job position is essential
  4. Although I want to rush the process, the company has other concerns that can slow things
  5. Networking is essential
  6. Persistence pays off
  7. I must have confidence in myself and my abilities
  8. Seek help from anyone and everyone possible—the least they can say is no
  9. In time the right fit will come along
  10. God is in control and has a plan

What lessons have you learned?

Transitional Friday: Psalms 121:7-8–The Lord Will Protect Us

Last week, we discussed God’s protection as we watches over us.  This week we are again reminded of this promise.

The Lord will keep you from all harm—Lord Keep from Harm

The Lord will watch over and protect His children from harm.  As we discussed last week, both known harm and unknown harm.  I personally can think of several harmful situations God has protected me from.
    he will watch over your life;

God doesn’t just watch over us for an hour or a day and then tire of us.  He watches over us for our entire life.  Even in those empty, sad moments when we feel all alone and that no one cares, God is still watching over us.
the Lord will watch over your coming and goingcoming and going

            God watches over us in both life and the afterlife.  From before our birth into the world, until long after we enter eternity with Him, God is with us watching over us and caring for us with only the protection He can provide.
both now and forevermore.

His promises, love and blessings last forever.   Time is finite.  Tomorrow is gone forever and yesterday is yet to be.  However, right now is the time we are in and we will never have that time back.  God holds all the yesterdays, todays and tomorrows in the palm of His hand.  He is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega, the same yesterday, today and forever.

Creative Thursday: 5 Benefits of Collaborating with Others

Often working together with a partner or team is a great way to open doors and stretch your creativity.

Several reasons collaborating are beneficial:

  1. Brainstorming—when working together you’re able to bounce ideas off of one another and to brainstorm together.  You can brainstormingboth bring new ideas and slants that can be considered and discuss the pros and cons of what will work best, why and how.
  2. Networking—Collaborating with others offers networking opportunities that may not otherwise be available to you.  Your partner{s} may have contacts that you do not have and vice versa.  You never know what doors might be opened through this association.
  3. Learn New Techniques—Working together you can learn new techniques from one another.  Maybe you’ve always done things one way, but there is a simpler way or new technique you’re not aware of that your creative partner is able to share with you.
  4. Utilize Strengths—each partner may have his/her own strengths and weaknesses.  By teaming up you can draw on one another’s strengths.  Ideally, you would want to search for a partner that has a strength where you have a weakness and vice versa.
  5. Fun—collaborating together can be fun and give you the necessary socialization needed that you would not have when working alone.  This can make the craft of creating less stressful, more productive and even more creative.

What are some benefits you’ve had of collaborating with others in your creative field?

Transitional Friday: 10 Steps to Making a Decision

decisions

 

 

Last week we discussed how much our decisions matter.

Often when we’re in a transitional period, we don’t know which way to turn.  We often wonder what is the best path and how to decide.

Here are a few tips, I’ve discovered the hard way:

  1. Pray about the situation and seek God’s will
  2. Pretend a friend came to you with this situation.  How would you advise a friend?decisions2
  3. Journal your thoughts and feelings about the situation.
  4. Make a list of the Pros and Cons to the situation.
  5. Listen to your gut and what your instincts or saying.
  6. Imagine 20 years from now.  Do you see regret?  What would your future self tell you now?
  7. Write out all of your concerns and seek the answers.
  8. Role Play—if this involves another individual role play the situation {even if you do this with a different friend or spouse}.  This often gives you the other individuals point of view.
  9. Limit the information and don’t focus on too much information.  You’ve heard the adage that the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.  This is the same idea.  I often worry about issues way down the line, instead of the present.
  10. Pray—this is so important, it’s worth repeating.  Pray, study the Bible and seek God’s will in the situation.

 

How do you make a decision?

Transitional Friday: When Change isn’t your Idea

Life throws us a curve ball at times and change is forced upon us.  This can be through the loss of a job, loss of a loved one, abusive relationship, natural occurrence, decision of another person, tragic accident and number other causes.

So, how do you deal with change when it isn’t your idea?

  1. Cry—sometimes we just need to cry and express our pain.  There are times when there just aren’t words. mourn
  2. Mourn your loss—a loss is a loss, regardless of how large or small.  Even if the change is one that we want, our life is changed and we need to mourn and say goodbye to that part of our lives.  Sometimes this is a few hours or a day and other times it is months or years.
  3. Pray and ask God for guidance and to help you move on—in all things we need to pray and ask God what He would have to do now.
  4. Accept your new normal—we have a new normal, even if it is for an interim time.  We have to accept this and learn how to live in this new reality.
  5. Determine your ultimate destination—we need to decide what our goals are.  What do we ultimately want in life?  Sometimes it takes weeks or months to determine what we may truly want and what God’s will might be for our lives.  We mustn’t forget to seek God’s will.
  6. Make a list of steps to reach that goal—now that we know where we are going, we need to access where we are and the steps to get from one place to the next.  Again, sometimes our goals are short term and other time they are long term.reach
  7. Work hard towards those goals—we work hard to meet these goals, whether it is returning to school, searching for a job, selling a house, etc.
  8. Continue to put one foot in front of another—there are days when life gets difficult and we don’t feel that we can keep going.  We take a deep breath and continue to put one foot in front of the other.
  9. Reach for your dreams—never give up—if this is truly what God has laid on your heart, never give up.  Ask for His help and keep pushing through no matter how difficult life gets at times.

Sometimes life altering events, lead to positive change.

What other ways do you deal with change?

 

Tweetables:

When Change isn’t your Idea

Techniques to deal with change 

Transitional Friday: Facing Your Fears

We all have fears!  I don’t like heights!

I’ve also overcome some fears, such as flying.

So, how do we face and overcome our fears?fear

  1. Make a list of your fears—make a list of all of your fears.  Which one is the easiest to cross of your list?
  2. Challenge your thoughts and the reason behind it—ask ourselves why this is a fear, what has caused this to be a fear and why you are fearful of this event.
  3. Make a list of steps to overcome this fear—make a list of steps that need to be taken in order to overcome this fear.
  4. Ask yourself what is the worst case scenario—then ask what the worst case scenario is.  With my fear of heights, that would be falling and breaking bones.
  5. Relax and visualize yourself going through the motions of what you are afraid offear2
  6. Revisit past victories—what fears have you overcome in the past?  How did you do this?
  7. Ask your family and friends for encouragement—we all need encouragement to keep moving forward and reach our goals.
  8. Take deep breaths—often deep breathing calms us and helps us to have perspective on the matter at hand.
  9. Face your fear head on—you may want a friend with you to lend emotional support

How do you overcome your fears?

Tweetables:

Facing Your Fears in Life Transitions

10 Lessons I’ve Learned from the Wait

Previously we discussed waiting for things to happen.  Waiting is never easy, especially when that season is prolonged for years.  I want to share a few lessons that I’ve learned while waiting.

  1. God will always provide and in the process I’m drawing closer to Him    praying through the wait
  2. God is preparing me for the future
  3. I am learning how to be patient {not easy}
  4. I am learning to have faith
  5. I can use this time to prepare my mind, heart and skill set for what’s to come
  6. He has a reason to keep me waiting
  7. His timing is perfect and His timing isn’t our timing
  8. He has a reason for keeping me where I am {often this is to help someone else}
  9. I am growing and changing as a person
  10. I may not be the only one God is working on

What lessons have you learned while waiting on God?

in the wait

In the Wait

Have you ever wondered what’s next?  When am I going to reach this goal?

I have!  For years, I’ve asked God about various aspects of my life.  Some I have waited for patiently and others, well I’ve shown God my attitude.  Needless to say I’ve been impatient and even angry at times. God wants us to be truthful with Him and tell Him how we feel.               waiting on God

We are told in Ecclesiastes “For everything there is a season.”  Still I wonder when that season will come.  Why have I been in the desert so long?  When will God show me the direction and answers I’ve been waiting for?

Waiting is not easy.  I understand why the Israelites grew frustrated after 40 years in the desert.  I often wonder how Joseph endured while he was in prison those seven years.

waiting       Still I know that the answer comes down to one answer, with God’s help I will wait.  That’s the same way that I’ve made it through.  It’s not been easy, but I have to trust that He knows best.  As my pastor says, He sees the upper story when I only see the lower story.

That doesn’t make it any easier, but I’ll trust that He knows what’s best.  So while I wait, I’ll continue to lean on Him.