Today

It has been a year since I’ve “picked up a pen” and written something from the heart. I’ve made promises to you who have taken the time to walk this journey with me since I started in 2010, and I thank you for still being there. “Some bodies” asked me recently when I would start writing again, and my answer has been “tomorrow.” Tomorrow has finally come, and I look forward to the words that God will place in my spirit in the tomorrows to come.  I hope that today is the tomorrow you dreamed it would be – and more!  Blessings…

Dépaysement

A few months ago I stumbled upon a really cool site (Matador) that has lists of some “awesomely untranslatable words.” I, being the lover of words that I am, cannot resist sharing one with you today!

The word for today is: DÉPAYSEMENT (Dépaysement - French – The feeling that comes from not being in one’s home country.)

Imagine being in a land that is not your own. The people, while friendly, do not look like they do in your hometown, the food is different, the air smells differently, the language is foreign, and the customs are not the same. Morals and values are similar but aren’t quite what you’re used to. You’re living in a foreign land with laws that reflect their way of life and belief system – not yours. Alas, you are there, and it is not home. You don’t know when you’ll get to go home… but do you even want to go home?

I have been dépaysement for a long time. I have not been at “home” in my everyday life. I’m in a place that is foreign to me. I’m existing, but not quite feeling like I’m in my native life land. I’m walking around, doing what I’m doing, but it doesn’t feel like I’m totally in my land. I’m looking for something that feels like home.  I’m trying new things, and contemplating various changes all in an effort to live a life that is comfortable, joyous and gives my inner spirit peace – one that feels like home.  

Finding that sweet spot in my life is still a journey I am on, but at least now I can call it by its name and know what to look for when I do. The people will recognize me as belonging because I act and feel like I belong, the food will be rich, the air will be fresh and love will be abundant. I will be HOME!

Write the Vision

“Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.””  -Habakkuk 2:2-3 (NKJV)

Step 1 – Decide to make a change

Step 2 – Define your Vision

Step 3 – Write the Vision

After deciding that a change is needed and defining the change, we now must write the vision. While writing a goal does not mean that you’ll actually complete it, it does provide a sense of seriousness and a level of commitment that just thinking about it doesn’t provide. God promises that when we write the vision (that is God inspired, of course!) it will be for an appointed time, and while it may take a while, we should wait because it will come!  No, this doesn’t tell us anything about when it will come, how it will come or what it will look like when it comes, but we know for sure that it is coming!

If you read anything about goal setting, often times one of the steps is to write the goal. There must be something to writing things down. Sometimes the advice is to post the vision somewhere where you can see it daily and revisit it often. To lose weight, studies show that people who keep some type of food diary or log or something lose more weight. When you graduate from a program or school or receive a licensure, they give you something written to remember what you accomplished. Writing solidifies our commitment to our vision (what we say we want) and makes us accountable to ourselves.

What I can say from personal experience is that when you pray over what God has put in your heart, write it down and meditate on His promise you, it will surely come...

Without Vision the People Will Perish

“Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.” -Proverbs 29:18 (NIV)

Step 1 – Decide to make a change

Step 2 – Define your Vision

So you’ve decided that something has got to change in your life, and you’re forming new habits to start the change with that one thing. The question is what is your end result? What do you ultimately want to do? Or how do you want to be? Who is the new you? Create your Vision!

A ship that drifts in the sea will continue to wander aimlessly without a destination unless propelled intentionally by a motor or guided by sails that receive their direction from the wind. Captains have a destination, pilots have destinations – anyone moving has a destination. Sometimes the destination is simple like where to go out for the night. Sometimes it’s more complex like whether to move into a new career path.

Life is simple, yet complex. It is sometimes spontaneous, yet planned. I believe it should be intentionally moving towards some destination because we are always moving forward with the momentum of the divine prophetic revelation that God has given to us. We may not know how we’re getting there, but we know where we’re going. Even if we don’t know where we’re going, we know where moving in the general direction because we have a lamp unto our feet and a light to our path. With our spiritual eyes we see that we are moving in the purpose and plan God created for us in such a time as this.

God’s word tells us that without a vision for our lives, we will perish. We may not disappear from the earth, but our outlook on life, our optimism and our hope begin to diminish if we move towards nothing. A life without purpose or vision can feel like a waste. We may experience times of wilderness, but there is always the promise at the end that keeps us going. If you don’t know what your promise is, Jeremiah 29:11 is a start. God has plans to prosper us and not to harm us. He has plans to give us a hope and a future – a VISION.

If you haven’t already, get a vision, pray about your future, and start walking towards your destiny.

Your Future Starts in the Present

Happy New Year! I realize we are 29 days into 2012, and many have already set their New Year’s Resolutions declaring what will be different this year. I have done the same, but one difference is that I am taking ownership of my present. To envision a different future is to concede that your present is not the way you want it to be.

I’ve been taking inventory this month of the things that I would like to change. I then started to pray about the areas in my life that I want to look different. I must confess that the areas in which I need great improvement are numerous, and unfortunately I’m not Superwoman – I cannot do everything all at once. I’m deciding where to start and I will start on that one thing.

Often times we try to do everything all at once, when studies show (http://www.inc.com/ilya-pozin/7-things-highly-productive-people-do.html) that we are less productive when we multitask. I’ve decided to stop multitasking (although I still haven’t quite gotten into the habit of turning the t.v. off when I’m working at home!) and focus on one thing at a time in the hopes of being more productive. I’m applying this same strategy to changing various areas in my life. I expect to give more time to one thing at a time for the 28 or so days it will take to form new habits.

28 days – the magic number. If we invest time NOW, then our FUTURE will be different. Time is a commodity just like money, and how you spend will reflect in your lifestyle and quality of life LATER. Your present will not always look that way it looks today. If your present is not what you want it to be, ACCEPT that fact humbly. Give yourself the GRACE to make the changes so your present will be the VISION that you see in your mind. Your future starts in the present – it starts TODAY!