TRANSFORMED!
Ratifications, Adjustments, & Paradigm Shifts
Laurie and I are coming off of one of the most exhausting years of ministry in GTD's 21 year history. That's not a complaint. It's simply a fact. Some years just punch you in the face. It happens to everyone. It's life. The question is, how will you respond?
Praise God, we are full of Godly character. We are both fighters. We are both strivers. Giving up is a foreign language to us that we never want to understand. We get knocked down, but we get right back up again. And that's exactly what we are doing right now. Rising up. Assessing everything. Evaluating everything. Addressing everything. Applying wisdom to everything.
If something that we are already doing is wise and fruitful (such as daily seeking God first) then it is ratified and remains in our life. If something we are already doing is draining the life out of us, but simply needs to be tweaked in order for it to become life producing (such as working less hours) then we are making the adjustments. And if there is something that we are doing or not doing that is well intended, but absolutely fruitless and drains the life out of us (such as missing sleep in order fulfill obligations) then we are making paradigm shifts to wiser life giving choices. That's the awesome thing about the way God designed life... He gives us the ability to change our results simply by changing our choices.
So I'm 11 weeks into this transformation (Laurie is about 1 month behind me) and the daily progress and overall results are literally life changing. 3 months ago I was physically exhausted and emotionally drained. The workload I was carrying over the past year was overwhelming and unsustainable. We decided to call off our wedding and focus on our health. I'm thrilled to say that the recovery and resiliency that we both have experienced is extraordinary. I feel like a kid again. The fun, laughter, excitement, zeal, and child-likeness has flooded in and filled up the space that had been occupied by stress, pressure, deadlines, and endless demands. I've been learning so much... accumulating wise principle after wise principle and then applying them to my life only to see my withered leaves become green again, and barren branches produce fruit again, and a survivor become a thriver again. I'm beyond thrilled!
Laurie and I don't know what the future holds as far as our relationship, but we do know that our present is full of Jesus, life, laughter, joy, and purpose. And we are both OK with that =).
This picture was taken last night after we got into an ice cream cone fun fight at Twistee Treat. We couldn't stop laughing =)
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." - Romans 12:2
STRiVE to THRiVE!
