One at a time

Yesterday I finished the last class of my 2010 Spring Clean Your Business coaching class with Cindy Rushton, and learned, among many other wonderful things, that in order to get to where we as writers and speakers desire to be, we need to take one step at a time. Reaching for those goals by accomplishing our to-do lists. Pushing through every obstacle to the finish line.  When one task is done, going to the next priority A thing, not losing any momentum.  Doing and becoming what God has called us to do and to be for His glory.

Today my daughter Leah and I made home-made pancakes. Since this was not a boxed pancake recipe, we had to carefully measure each ingredient: the flour, sugar, milk, vanilla, egg yolks and egg whites (separated), salt, and baking powder. If we stirred the mixture too much, the baking powder wouldn’t react correctly. The pancakes with butter and raspberry syrup turned out delicious. To cook the pancakes though, we had to take one ingredient at a time.

In life sometimes things happen that we don’t understand, or we have prayed and nothing seems to be happening. Has God gone on vacation? Is He chatting with or texting someone else on His giant Iphone?  We as humans with our finite minds just don’t get everything that God is doing. Maybe we never will fully understand God and His ways, which are so much higher than our ways. But we must learn to trust Him and to obey Him.

We get through the dark valleys and climb the mountains of glory in life one simple way:  we take every moment, every day, every situation, one prayer at a time.

God hears your voice. Don’t stop praying.

“Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!” (1 Peter 4:7, The Message)

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Did you enjoy this post by Beth?  Learn more about prayer here.

Nehemiah’s wall completed: Doing what God has put in your heart

The damage in Haiti is devastating from the recent magnitude-7.0 earthquake. The Red Cross estimates that 50,000 may be dead. Bodies are lining the streets, people are critically injured, food and water are scarce, and people are scared and traumatized. The situation looks hopeless. Yet God has a great plan. 

Join Beth today as she shares encouragement from the book of Nehemiah.  God put it in Nehemiah’s heart to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Despite great opposition from the enemy and the situation looking hopeless, Nehemiah and the people of Israel picked up their tools, strapped their swords to their sides, and completed the hard work.  This podcast, which is uncut and unedited (other than the very last of the closing), is rough and raw, but in it Beth shares passionately about Haiti and about fulfilling your destiny. What is it that you want to do for God?  Tune into today for refreshment from God’s word that you can fulfill the dreams God has put in your heart.

Let the sparkles fly!

“Good plans shape good decisions. That’s why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true.” ~ Anonymous

How are you enjoying 2010 so far? I’ve been really busy! But I don’t want to be JUST busy – I want to be fruitful for God’s kingdom, bringing glory to Him! 

This week I went out and bought some “supplies” for the new year. I feel like I am in school again – a new wall calendar, a 3-ring notebook, some sheet protectors, and a new Franklin Covey Dayplanner that is smaller than my previous one, so I can carry it wherever I go now!  It has everything I need…..monthly and yearly calendar, important addresses, tabs to record to-do lists, shopping,  menus, personal and family information, notes….what my coach Cindy amusingly calls “my brain in a binder.”    

The wall calendar I bought is a TinkerBell one, and it shows a different picture of her each month, with a cute expression written on it. This month’s motto is “Let the sparkles fly!”  I really like that, don’t you?

Ready to sparkle and shine in 2010?  Just think about all the good things that happened in 2009 – and I believe 2010 is going to be even better for all of us! 

Speaking of good things……..for those of you who have been keeping up with my blogs on , my friends Pat and Kim Weber, you know that they are home now from China with their adopted baby girl Hadassah. Pictured above are Pat’s and Kim’s three children, with their new “Sissy.”  Isn’t she just precious?  The kids are really enjoying her.  What an unforgettable Christmas miracle for that family! And I love how Kim is dressing Megan and Hadassah like twins.   

From Kim, (she said it was fine to post what she wrote), here is the latest update:  “I just uploaded some new pictures to an album called Hadassah at home (on Shutterfly). I can’t believe we’ve been home a week already. Hadassah was amazing on the way home and slept 7 hours of the 11 hour flight, as well as on the other 2 flights. We are so thankful to God and so glad to be home. She has been adjusting well and bonding with everyone. She is such a happy, delightful little girl. We had a few rough nights with her getting used to the time difference, but she is sleeping well now and eating like crazy. She loves American food. Hope you enjoy the pictures!  Love and Blessings, Kim”

Yes, our God is GOOD!

Megan and Hadassah on trampoline at Pat’s and Kim’s house (Florida)