Oh, how I enjoy making plans. I get that good, responsible adult feeling and it’s simply fun to fantasize about the future. I have to remember even on those Monday morning walks to work when I’m daydreaming happily about the future, that all I really have is right now. The present is so precious and loaded full of God’s goodness, opportunities for growth, and budding friendships.

Also, Josh and I have had plans that have changed almost weekly. I know my dad has tons of Facebook messages from me that give evidence to this. I wouldn’t say that we’re sporadic people, but there have been events that have taken place that neither of us had expected. I believe that there have been times where if we would have stuck to our plan instead of changing it according to new situations and opportunities, we would have actually been outside of the will of God.

I think that in the Book of James when he writes “Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil”(4:13-17), he is speaking of the need to be led by God and willingness to not set our plans in stone. When we are flexible with our plans we put ourselves in a place where we can be led by God and respond in obedience to Him when He speaks to us.

I don’t believe there is anything wrong with making plans. Even God makes plans since Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that he has plans for us. But our well-intentioned plans must not become a substitute for hearing from God.

Sometimes God may change our direction altogether, and he may tell us to do something that seems totally contrary to what we believe He said before. Does this mean we’re hearing from Satan instead? Not all the time. In one of his writings, Pastor Rick Joyner of Morning Star ministries uses a story from Abraham's life to illustrate the importance of continuing to listen to God. In Genesis 22:1-24 Abraham made no hesitation in going about sacrificing his son Isaac when God told him to do so, but just as he was picking up the knife an angel of the Lord told Abraham not to kill Isaac, for this had been a test from God. If Abraham hadn’t continued listening to God even when His instructions changed, he would have killed Isaac. I think one of the lessons that we can glean from this story is that we must continue listening not only to God but also to the guidance of our spiritual authority and Godly people in our lives. By not listening to advice that may oppose what God has said to us, means the possibility of not heeding his further instructions. We must be willing to consider that even though God may be saying something different to us today, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we weren’t hearing Him right before. Perhaps like Abraham He was testing us or providing an opportunity to grow-who knows!

The only thing I really know is that God has plans and I’m so glad for that. I’m glad that I’m not running my own life because I’d surely make a mess of it. What a beautiful, divine realization that God is with us right now in the present, wanting to love on us and be with us. Day by day we can be led by Him even in what seems to be the smallest of decisions, for it is God who knows whether they actually are small or not.
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23 05/20/2010
 
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Today I turned 23! It's almost hard for me to believe that '22' is gone and of course next year is ''24' and how time goes by so fast, but it's been an incredible year. I realize that looking back at each year, especially after I became a Christian, none has been just drab or seemed pointless like I was just 'living life'. Each year has contained lessons and events that I believe have been so crucial to where I am now and the opportunities that God has so graciously entrusted to me so far and for whatever is upcoming. I've been challenged, inspired and absolutely called to come closer to God and enjoy Him, and I have no doubt that age 23 is going to be another year of awesome in which 'deep continues calling out to deep'.

Today,I  worked from 6am-2pm and then for supper Josh and I went to the Gahan House; a rustic brewery in, downtown Charlottetown. I really liked the rustic atmosphere of the restaurant, and the fish and chips was the best I've ever tasted, and was quaintly served in a brown paper bag. Josh ordered the club sandwich and we both had sweet potato fries with jalapeno mayo.

 Josh gave me some really sweet gifts: a cactus from the Superstore (I've been really wanting one!), a Betty Crocker vanilla icing scented candle, that Celestial Bengal spice tea that I've been craving, a compact NLT bible, a box of green tea and a 'mean, green recycling machine' Oscar the Grouch tee.
 It truly was a great day and a nice beginning to ‘23’.
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My Crown 05/06/2010
 
With its strong theme of joy which the apostle Paul encourages in the midst of his own suffering, his letter to the Philippians is one of my favourites in the New Testament. Some think that the Philippians were one of Paul’s favourite congregations. Paul had supported himself and refused assistance from other churches, but he accepted support and encouragement from the Philippians. He refers to them twice as his beloved and nine times as his brothers and sisters .This is amazing when we realize that these Gentiles were the very ones who years previous, Paul would have called ‘blasphemers’ and dragged them out of their homes to be killed. In his letter composed from prison Paul calls the Gentiles his beloved brethren and his joy.

In 4:1, Paul also calls them his crown. At this time, there were a few different crowns that Paul may have been referring to. There was the crown made of wild olive leaves won by an athlete at an event. There was the crown which guests of honour were crowned with by friends at a banquet. A crown can also denote a trophy. Paul didn’t long for money and possessions to make Him feel rich and his life worthwhile. Rather it was the people who he invested himself in that he considered to be the sparkling jewels of his life. They were his reward. Paul held them up as proof that his service was effective and his life was fruitful. He was encouraged by their love and their worshipful lives, and he only wanted to see them to continue to do well, live in harmony together, persevere and grow closer to God. Paul loved these people whom he had brought to Christ and his words express a closeness to them like that of family. It is in that very context of love and commitment that Paul writes to them and calls them his crown.

Are there people who we could call our crown? Are there those who we have poured ourselves into for the sake of them growing in their walk with God? Perhaps not yet, but even today we could make decisions that would set us on such a path of selfless love. We could pray for God to put people in our lives who we could help and encourage, and to open our eyes to the people he has already placed around us. Most of all, we could pray for the desire and divine help to love people over ourselves and over things.
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