Have you ever found yourself wondering when your "life" is going to begin? I have. What I did not realize, for many years, was that while I was thinking that I needed something, someone or some occurance to come along before I could really start living, my life was busy passing me by.
The off-throw of this kind of mentallity is that not only was life passing me by, people and occurances were also passing by without my appreciating them for the blessings that they were. There are some, I know, that passed by completely unnoticed.
Now that God has blessedly given me a good reality check, I mourn the loss of those years wasted in the foolish quest of what I believed to be a part of the magic "happy" formula.
One of the things I regret the most is that I did not completely treasure each and every moment of my children's young lives. When I think back on how many times one or the other of them tried to share something with me, and I did not take the time to listen, my heart breaks. Now, with them all grown and going about their own business, I long for them to want to talk to me.
Just as God's timing is not our timing, so our timing is not the timing of others. Life passes us by while we are ignorantly unaware.
When I am tempted to thrash myself with condemnation, God always reminds me of the things that I did not allow to be lost in my blind pursuit of happiness. While many moments with my children were lost, there are still precious many that I have to treasure. For this, I know I have only God's grace to thank. He constantly blesses me, in spite of myself.
Today, I received an email from my daughter's hostess in New Zealand. She talked about how her elderly mother-in-law was diagnosed with only weeks to life. That was almost a year ago. It reminded me how very relivant time was. Man goes about his foolish way; but the One who designed and created the universe is the only one who really has any control over time. Only He decides who comes and who goes, in this old world.
That being said, I am so extremely grateful to Him for the people my children have grown up to be. My oldest son is now a father. It is my heartfelt prayer that he remember the times that I was too busy or distracted to pay proper attention to him, and take that life-lesson to heart making him a far better parent than any he suffered.
Treasure every moment, my dear ones. Do not waste a single moment, not on regret or recrimination. God knows your heart. He knows your weaknesses, and He knows your strengths. Take time to repent, and as He instructs, "go and sin no more."
God loves you. Yes, even you; just the way you are!
Jude
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Monday, March 12, 2007
The Taxman Commeth
It seems odd to me to not have a T-4 slip to present to the accountant when he comes to do our taxes, later today. There have been very few years when I have had no taxable income to report. I could get to like this; except for the being poor part. ha ha
It has been a year of struggling to put a Creative Writing Consultant's business together with some small successes, a lot of learning, a little teaching, and lots of creative and organizational work (which just happens to be my specialty). Now, the website is up and running, (www.awriterstoolbox.com) and affiliates have been and continue to be added. The lessons are almost all done the creation phase, and a few have actually been accessed.
What I am now finding is the benifits of networking with other writing-based web sites and web people. This networking is something I had not realized and it is such a wonderful bonus to the hours and hours of hard work.
This semester, I have the pleasure of teaching a person who is rather influential in the education organizations of our district. Through him, I have learned a lot about what works as a teacher and what does not. He is always encouraging and we have some wonderful talks about his WIP (work-in-progress) and writing in general. Another great joy--to share what I love so much with others who are hungry to learn about it.
When I am tempted to get discouraged; start thinking of the hundreds of hours I have already put into lesson creation, web creation, research, etc., I have decided to concentrate, instead, on the works of fiction that are now in print, on bookstore shelves, that have my fingerprints on them in small or significant ways. Then, I realize that even though I am not becoming a rich and famous author in a quick hurry, I am impacting others with my knowledge and skill. That, I feel, may just be reward enough.
As in all things that God leads me to, my part may be very small, and seem insignificant, when viewed on its own. However, when I step back and look at the larger picture, I can see that my part was important and necessary to make the whole thing come together to God's plan.
Daily, I am thankful that He helps me to realize my worth and value as a person. So, even though I do not have my first million dollars in book sales to report to the tax man, the Man who does my final audit knows that my value is counted in more than dollar bills. Thankfully, through His love and support, I am able to recognize that, as well.
Be blessed, my dear ones. Know that your true value is in the respect, love, appreciation and memories that others have for you. Your value is in Christ Jesus, through whom all these good things come.
Till next time, Jude
It has been a year of struggling to put a Creative Writing Consultant's business together with some small successes, a lot of learning, a little teaching, and lots of creative and organizational work (which just happens to be my specialty). Now, the website is up and running, (www.awriterstoolbox.com) and affiliates have been and continue to be added. The lessons are almost all done the creation phase, and a few have actually been accessed.
What I am now finding is the benifits of networking with other writing-based web sites and web people. This networking is something I had not realized and it is such a wonderful bonus to the hours and hours of hard work.
This semester, I have the pleasure of teaching a person who is rather influential in the education organizations of our district. Through him, I have learned a lot about what works as a teacher and what does not. He is always encouraging and we have some wonderful talks about his WIP (work-in-progress) and writing in general. Another great joy--to share what I love so much with others who are hungry to learn about it.
When I am tempted to get discouraged; start thinking of the hundreds of hours I have already put into lesson creation, web creation, research, etc., I have decided to concentrate, instead, on the works of fiction that are now in print, on bookstore shelves, that have my fingerprints on them in small or significant ways. Then, I realize that even though I am not becoming a rich and famous author in a quick hurry, I am impacting others with my knowledge and skill. That, I feel, may just be reward enough.
As in all things that God leads me to, my part may be very small, and seem insignificant, when viewed on its own. However, when I step back and look at the larger picture, I can see that my part was important and necessary to make the whole thing come together to God's plan.
Daily, I am thankful that He helps me to realize my worth and value as a person. So, even though I do not have my first million dollars in book sales to report to the tax man, the Man who does my final audit knows that my value is counted in more than dollar bills. Thankfully, through His love and support, I am able to recognize that, as well.
Be blessed, my dear ones. Know that your true value is in the respect, love, appreciation and memories that others have for you. Your value is in Christ Jesus, through whom all these good things come.
Till next time, Jude
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