Discerning Direction
If you are joining me from Encouragement for Today’s devo, I’m so glad you did. Maybe you dropped by today because you are stuck right in the middle of a crossroads — unsure of where to go, or what direction or move is the right one.
I’ve created a devo for you to print out called Discerning Direction. It takes you right to a crossroads I had to cross, and offers six questions to help you know if you are making a good decision. Download it, share it with friends, take it to your Bible study group, or just have a one-on-one with God as you go through it.
Discerning Direction (click to download)
I hope you will consider leaving a comment so I can pray with you today. I promise that I’ll pray over each person and each crossroads. Do I have the answers you need? No, but I know Who does.
I’ll also send an autographed copy of my book, Making It Real: Whose Faith Is It Anyway, to one of you that leave a comment.
Be sure to leave your email address (I’m the only one who will see it) so that I can contact the winner!
Blessings,
Suz
PS: It’s 12:47 p.m. and after reading many of the comments, I want to take this deeper. Is that okay with you?
For the next few days we’ll address some of the issues you brought up. What does Scripture have to say about it? How do you live it out the next day? Are there tangible changes or choices that can be made? What do you do when there doesn’t seem to be?
I hope you’ll come back tomorrow through Friday. We’ll dig deeper together, okay friends?
Suzie
Posted by Suzie @
4:21 am |
go Richard!
Yesterday our pastor called Richard and I to the stage. He was teaching a sermon about “getting going when you feel stuck”. He asked me a few questions about writing and changing careers several years ago, but then started talking to Richard.
Three+ years ago Richard worked at a mill. It wasn’t satisfying work, but it paid well and had great benefits. He worked there for 18 years. Though he didn’t love it, he was faithful to it and grateful for the paycheck. But he never focused on the mill or the hard, hot work or the hours, but the people.
As I listened to Richard share his heart with the church, I was inspired all over again by this guy I love a lot.
I learned from him. Lessons like, even when you are in a hard place God can shift your focus from feelings to people and God’s heartbeat for those people.
Or that it’s never too late to take calculated risks or to trust that God has a plan, maybe even a new plan that will take you far out of your comfort zone so that you can discover new heights and new territory in your life.
It’s not been easy starting over, going to school, changing cities, leaving a secure paycheck, but it’s been an adventure I’ve been honored to share with him.
When 2010 rolled over at midnight on January 1, I thought, “Wow, we’re finally here! It’s the year we thought seemed a million miles away.”
He graduates with his Masters in December of this year. His license will be finalized in December. He starts his LPC hours that same month.
Richard set a goal, prayed for direction to make sure he was on track with the Big Boss, and has faithfully worked to see it unfold.
I love you, babe. I’m so stinkin’ proud of you I can’t put it into words (or maybe I can), but you inspired this girl standing beside you on stage yesterday.
Posted by Suzie @
1:19 pm |
I’ve been a bit of a baby lately
“Why is this so hard?”
“Why can’t I just come up with a title?”
“Why won’t THEY hear what I’m saying?”
I hate to admit it, but I’ve been a bit of a baby this past week. I’ve been stuck. Oddly enough, stuck on a title for a book about “being stuck”.
The night before a message from my agent landed in my in-box. “Try again,” she said.
Again? Really? I could have written the book by now.
I was discouraged. I shut my laptop down and turned on a Hallmark TV movie, hoping to be inspired, or at least distracted.
Last night Richard and I went to the evening service. It’s been a while since we’ve been able to do that. Our church is a 90-mile round trip, family has been in, Richard has had to study… lots of reasons to keep us away on Sunday night.
But I wanted to go. I needed to go. I looked forward to seeing friends, to worship, to something anything besides brainstorming for a title.
Pastor stood in the pulpit. “Did you know that the author of Chicken Soup for the Soul had to pray one week for a title for his book?” he said.
What?
He went on to share how one of the founders of Chicken Soup was in angst over a title. And every title he came up with just wasn’t good enough.
He decided to pray for a week. When Chicken Soup came to him, he resisted. Why would his grandmother’s soup be a good title?
People are sick, he thought. That’s why. They need something warm, something uplifting for the spirit.
No, the soul.
The right title was key. That first book sold 200,000 copies. Now the series has sold millions of copies.
I sat in the pew, shaking my head. What were the odds that the Sunday evening I attended the sermon would be about finding a title for a book?
I’ve resisted. I’ve whined. I’ve been discouraged.
But this title matters. So I’ll go back to the drawing board prayer room. I’ll ask for help from the One who knows the name of every beautiful reader who will pick up the book because they feel stuck.
Father, have I mentioned lately how much I love You? I do.
And
Posted by Suzie @
11:41 am |
why Christmas?
Dear Suzie,
Why Christmas? (more…)
Posted by Suzie @
10:50 am |
Silent night
December 21, 2009 | faith
Listen.
Silence.
Rest.
Solitude.
You find these words throughout Scripture, but not so much in our daily lives. Today my to-do list is cra-azy! In fact, there’s no way I’ll get it done. And I could add several more to-do’s on my list. I have so much I want to accomplish, so much that I’d love to explore.
There is enough time, but not to do it all at once, especially when a holiday has been thrown in the mix. And I know I said “holiday”. Please don’t scold me. It’s the holiday preparation that creates busyness, not the Christ part of it.
But as I stood beside my daughter and son-in-law yesterday at New Heights church in Fayetteville, the pastor’s words enclosed around my heart. The simplicity of Scripture spoke to me, right where I was.
I need to be silent, to close it all down, if even only for a half hour and just listen to God in the silence. Not just today, but every day.
So, love you like crazy, my friends, but I’ve got an appointment with Someone special.
Suz
Posted by Suzie @
5:28 pm |
live free today
How much time do we spend thinking about tomorrow? All the things we want to do. All the growth we want in our lives.
But perhaps the more important question is: What can I do today?
Can I get real with you? I’ve been a little irked lately. What I’ve been irked about isn’t important, but the fact that I’ve let resentment creep in is important.
You see, I chose a long time ago to live life fully. To laugh. To love. To appreciate the small things. To run after everything that God has for me. It’s a very cool way to live. It doesn’t stop the challenges, or the things that you don’t see coming like sickness or a financial bump in the road, but it changes you on the inside. There’s a core of you that those things can’t touch, and you work through them with faith and peace instead of going up and down like a roller coaster.
According to Scripture, we have an enemy who is subtle. From the outside looking in, I’ve got it all under control, but the One who loves me gently reminded me yesterday that I’m giving in to temptation, letting small things build up, and worse, I’m not addressing the issue.
Subtle. Subtle. Subtle. Slowly building up until it becomes something big.
So today I will deal with it. First, I’ll take account of what I have to be joyfilled about. Second, I’ll put it in a place of importance — is it as big as I have made it? Third, I’ll address it. Can I do anything to change it? Is it short term? Is it an opportunity to grow? Last, I’ll pray about it.
And I’ll live free, not putting it off until tomorrow.
What will you do today to life free?
Posted by Suzie @
12:52 pm |
