Yancey

We've decided that we have an alpaca.  Why, you ask?  Why not?  He's smaller than a llama, and really pretty cute.  His name is Yancey.  If you'd like to see him, you may wait a long time...he's very shy.  Our kids haven't seen him yet, so they're considering having us committed.  Of course, they'll have to catch us first, and I don't think Yancey will let them take us without a fight.  He is very fond of us.  From now on anything that goes wrong (especially in the back yard) is Yancey's fault, but he's worth it.  After all, who else do you know who has an alpaca?

LIVING ON PURPOSE

I need to be more deliberate, Lord, in the use of my time.

So much can be wasted away on things that may seem important

at the time, but in the end they are meaningless.

Purpose.

I need to have purpose in the time that I call my own,

especially at this stage of my life when I have

more free time and soon, much more free time.

I need a plan.

Living life on purpose, that is the ideal you seek.  It is a worthy goal.  The pace of life today makes it nearly impossible for you, for anyone, to feel like they are in control of their time and activities.  There is a constant demand for your involvement everywhere you turn.  Add to that the onslaught of media, noise, technology, and entertainment, and there is almost no space left in your life and heart for that which brings peace and helps you know purpose.  I understand.

Even though many of these demands are unique to this era, I am still the same God who reigns over all and I have not changed.  It is still My plan for you to walk with Me in a powerful, life-changing relationship that bears fruit and spills over into rivers of living water for others.  All of this requires a heart that truly desires this relationship and a mind that is disciplined to stay focused.  This is a relationship that lives and breathes and is constantly nourished by My Spirit.  You, My child, will have to actively choose to listen and be sensitive to My voice while tuning out the countless distractions clamoring for your attention. 

As you walk by My Spirit moment by moment you will see purpose  and kingdom living unfold before you.  This life does not promote itself or vie for the attention of the masses.  It quietly invades your day and helps you see with new eyes, hear with new ears, and carry My life into the tailor-made spaces that you inhabit.  The purpose becomes a path of discovery that leads you to see My grace everywhere you look.  You begin to see people the way I see them and love them with My love.  You see My gifts in the everyday moments that fill your day, and in the giving of thanks your heart is raised to the heavenly places where you are truly seated with Me.

Your vantage point changes everything.  You must remember that you are placed in Me, secure, safe, protected, kept, and loved.  The only true vision you have is through My eyes; the only wisdom or understanding you can possess is from My heart; the only way you can hear the cries of the world around you is through My ears.  It is from here that you can pray with power and effectiveness.  It is from here only that you can evaluate whether you are living life well or being consumed by the culture around you.

Sit here with Me.  Be still.  And know that only I am the God who changes everything and everyone I touch. Live life on purpose with Me.

Hebrews 13:8; John 7:38; John 15:26; Galatians 5:22-26;

Ephesians 2:4-10; Psalm 46:10