Fall 2016: What I’ve Learned…
Here are my top ten things I’ve learned this fall (in no specific order of importance, of course)…
Category: Where The Light Shines Through
When We Don’t Feel Like Giving Thanks
I feel like this year’s Thanksgiving Scrooge.
My husband lately has been bugging me to write. But I haven’t felt like it. I feel internally yucky. I feel like I shouldn’t share my internal yuckiness because I don’t want to be contagious or give anyone a reason to complain about their miserable lives. So I opted to abstain from writing… and letting you in on my misery.
Then the Lord reminds me of this verse in 1 Timothy because I’m pretty sure when Paul penned this to Timothy, his circumstances alone didn’t give him a reason to rejoice. But he did anyways. Despite the persecutions, the incarcerations, and the beatings, Paul somehow trusted God and all His promises.
As we prepare a marvelous Thanksgiving feast, my prayer for everyone is that we don’t miss these ingredients that will make our times memorable for a lifetime.
Looking For America: Our Purple Nation
You want love, love first. You want to be heard, listen up! You want to be respected, show respect. You want to win the war, learn to lose battles. You want freedom, fight fair. You want the right example for the next generation, it starts with you at home and in serving selflessly in our communities. You want empathy and compassion, be empathetic and compassionate towards your enemies. You want grace for yourself, be ready to give it.
You want forgiveness, forgive those who trespass you even when they are not apologetic for what they have done.
LEAD BY EXAMPLE in everything you do. Work harder than anyone without always expecting anything in return.
Our reward isn’t here, but in His Kingdom.
The Correlation of Wisdom and Time… and Pumpkins!
You know summer is over when you stock up on pumpkin-flavored everything because you also know that fall will also soon be over. I mean, it may have started with pumpkin lattes at Starbucks and some delectable dessert choices, but now we have to indulge, or tolerate if you are not a fan of, pumpkin-flavored Greek yogurt, potato chips, cream cheese, cereal, English muffins, bagels, hummus, etc…
Fall season is also the beginning of a lot returning TV shows and also the new and most anticipated ones, such as Designated Survivor and did you guys get to watch my new favorite This is Us?
As we grow older and seasons come and go, time resembles more like an enemy who is constantly reminding us of how we’ve wasted it with our lack of productivity. Our reasoning? We just don’t have enough of it.
But what does wisdom tell us about time?
How to Travel Light in a Heavy World: Wisdom and Worldly Success
I told myself in order to be successful, I had to be perfect.
But that was a lie. In order to be successful, I must be wise.
Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc, Friends) once said,
When the package is this pretty, no one cares what’s inside.
I know one person who cares.
His name is Jesus.
How to Travel Light in a Heavy World: Wisdom Works with Humility
When we’ve been left astray with life’s disappointments, humility will not demand an apology when we’ve been wronged, but will meekly guide us to forgive in obedience to the economy of love. If we allow Mother Wisdom’s compass to direct us through the path of humility, then we will be taken to new and exciting places we had missed if we continued down the same road of pride and arrogance.
How to Travel Light in a Heavy World: Wisdom Requires Faith
When we take a step of faith, we are not uneducated about the condition of our situation. Our faith comes from practice, not from an arbitrary event.
If wisdom is the vessel to our final destination, then faith is the fuel which ignites our passion for eternity.
How to Travel Light in a Heavy World: Wisdom is Free
As a self-proclaimed foodie, one of my preferred ways to travel is on a large and luxurious cruise ship because we consume all of this “free food.” I mean, who doesn’t love a free frozen treat after a long day spent exploring the hot and humid Caribbean islands? Then there’s the hard-working crew who are often the friendliest and sweetest people you will ever meet. They will make you feel like royalty for every dinner, particularly on those nights we get to wear our formal attire.
How to Travel Light in a Heavy World: Wisdom Takes Time
I’m not a runner. I always came last in every race. I was once challenged to run ten miles and this verse was my most devoted cheerleader.
“Count it all joy,” she shouted with confidence.
I later came to learn her name was Wisdom.
The Art of Traveling Light
When we travel, we may have packed a sedative to calm our anxiety. A sedative may be a temporary solution to relieve us from our nerves and our pain, but God wants us to seek something a lot more permanent to cure our wounds. Instead of numbing our pain, we should be praying for a more long-term solution, for wisdom to enter our hearts (Proverbs 2:10).
Ally Velsor 