Can We Go Somewhere?

My nine-year old grandaughter and I are what I refer to as "road dawgs". Shalajah loves to follow her Nanny (me) during any given time or day. When she hears the jingle of my keys, it's as if a silent alarm is triggered in her head. "Nanny, I want to come over and hang out with you, Can we just get in your car and go somewhere?." she will say.

As I listen to those few words coming from her lips, and gaze into her long eyelashes, big brown eyes, I know exactly what she really wants. The majority of the time all Shalajah wants is a solitude moment away from the boys and escape to her favorite snacks that I keep just for her, her three brothers and other kids who come by. She loves for me to spoil her with girly girl, good-smelling things that we commonly love as well as visiting the dollar stores, thrift stores and her favorite eating places.

Shalady ( a name I call her) is never short of having a plan at any given moment and time.

This reminds me of another story that I liked to read when I was her age about the adventures of another little girl called Alice in Wonderland. Alice would venture off and have encounters with several other characters. One encounter in particular was her encounter with the Cat and a conversation she had with him.
Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat
Alice:I don't much care where--" said Alice
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat
Alice: --"so long as I get SOMEWHERE," Alice added as an explanation.
Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."

There's an old adage that goes like this " If you make one step, God will make two". Taking that first step is usally the most challenging part of any task. Many have never been able to surpass the fear of taking a step forward.

God has and places he wants you to take you and things that he wants you to accomplish. It is up to you to supply the faith to get you there. You may not fully understand just what it is you are doing or where it will lead you at first, but rest assured it will be for the good of yourself and everyone who is involved. One major clue to knowing where you are going lies in understanding where you came from. There will be visible signs along the way if you focus and pay attention to them. Move forward at all cost. You will gain much more insight from looking back and remembering than you will from walking back and reliving. Launch forward in faith fearing no one or nothing.

Occasionally, like Alice in Wonderland, you will have different experiences and encounters with people and need to stop and ask questions to get a sense of clarity. Sitting idle and trying to decide what to do will only open the door for frustration and depression often causing one to lose their focus. The simplest and practical solution, of course is to just occupy yourself by going somewhere and doing something. It is often true, that an idle mind is the Devil's workshop. Here are 5 tips that when applied will help in keeping your focus on your goals:


1. First things first


2. Other things second


3. Cut out the unimportant


4. Unify the vision


5. Stick with it



Decide to take action today by writing an action plan for your goals. Remember, if you fail to plan, plan to fail. Keep your eyes on completion of your goals until you are successful. Let nothing distract you, let nothing stop you.

Whatever you decide to do may not attract the multitude and perhaps maybe only a few may benefit from it. You may not even become famous by doing it, but at least you'll be accomplishing something with the precious life God has given you. You were designed uniquely from anyone else with a plan and a purpose for his service. Don't allow valuable time to waste by trying to please everyone. Focus on pleasing God, the designer of your life and doing what he purposed you for and one day you will not look back and greatly regret having wasted many years of your life doing nothing and going nowhere. His desires for us is to lead us along a path of his choosing. Our challenge is to watch,to listen... and be ready to follow.

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Picked Out To Be Picked Up

As anyone who is busy and caught up in the things-to-do list of life can tell you, sometimes the most profound lessons that we may learn can come from the smallest objects.

Afterall, it was a busy day. My hands were full trying to juggle three bags of groceries in each hand while twirling my fingers to maneuver my door keys to open it upon arrival. Did I forget to mention the full bladder that was on the countdown awaiting my entry into the house? My mission was to calculatingly swing the groceries aside and race upstairs to the bathroom to give my bladder the relief it was crying for. During my "Thank you God for relief" moment, as I patiently sat and reflected, my mind flashed back to a penny that I intentionally passed up. Curiously I introspectively focused on why this penny had such a visual impact on me at this particular moment.

Suddenly the light went off in my head and it was apparent that "Everything that I needed to know about life coaching others could be learned from the penny". Now I admit this was not the ideal time for a life-changing revelation, but God has been known to humor me in the most serious times and situations.

Let's pause a moment, and allow me to personify the penny for a brief moment. I'll bring it to life in order to make a comparative analysis of our attitude towards the people we sometimes encounter. Here are four everyday examples of people and situations we encounter that can be used as practical coaching tools to anyone who wants to radically impact others in making personal life changes :

1. Penny, I see you but I am going to overlook the need to pick you up.

2. If you'll excuse me, I'm very busy with things of more importance. Right now I just can't allow you the benefit of occupying my time so please excuse me as I politely step over you.

3. You're a cast away, unvaluable and really unworthy of the pain that I'll encounter while I stoop down to pick you up.

4. To me you are small, insignificant, practically worthless, besides I
have bigger and better things of far more importance than to deal with you.

Get the picture? The penny then became my priceless teacher.

Everyday, we encounter people of all walks of life who cross our paths for different reasons. Each one has their own story and experiences that have landed them where they are. Are we overlooking them because of the situation that they are currently in or the appearance of their mental state or perhaps even the social class that we visibly associate them with? Is it possible that we step over them because of our own false sense of superiority?

If we truly want to exercise the benefit of coaching others towards purposeful living, we must realistically consider that there are those whom life has thrown away, devalued, labeling them too small, too insignificant, poor, worthless, etc. and be the outstretched hand that extends itself to reach into unfamiliar places to help them up. We must help them see themselves in a light contrary to their current circumstances.

Nevertheless, as we were picked out to be picked up like the rejected and countless penny, we too were alone, needed to be saved before we amounted to anything and could of ourselves do nothing. Our everlasting God, through his infinite compassion, raised us up, brushed off the debris of life and assigned us a new and valuable identity. Where we were once walked over we are now chosen. He transformed our worthlessness into a life of increase. What others previously saw as our valuelessness is now a visual example of small beginning to a fresh start.

I thank God for calling us to be a "Pennypicker" to the lives of those whom we encounter.

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