Hello Greatness,

It’s the last quarter of the year, and for a lot of people like me, this is a time to reflect on those goals that we have written for the year. It’s the time to start ticking the check box for those things we have achieved. Well, that was what I did the beginning of this week and I was a bit ticked off that the number of check boxes that I marked were less than I had expected. Hmmmm, for a minute there I started to feel real bad about this, gave me a sleepless night, which was just not good for my body. My body picked up on these signs and my week didn’t start so great. My human instinct kicked in and I started to wonder how I could turn things around for the next three months. While doing that, it got me a little worried because it seemed that there was really little I could do about those goals. It wasn’t up to me. See, what I was doing basically was overestimating my abilities and underestimating the presence of God in my life. I trusted in my intelligence and capabilities, which I must say are pretty limited. I confided in my sisters and one of them just simply quoted Proverbs 16:9(CEV)- We make our own plans, but the Lord decides where we will go. After saying this, she just smiled. I had some time to reflect on that verse and when I began to reflect on how my plans didn’t seem to hit the goal, I saw the various ways God established me this year. I started to see how God set me on a completely different path that is quite different from what I would have ever envisioned.

That same day, I got a scripture, Philippians 1:6(CEV)- God is the One Who began this work in you, and I am certain that He won’t stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns. God’s Word is always fresh because He could use something we’ve already become familiar with to actually minister to us. Reading that verse got me to appreciate the Omniscience attribute of God. He is the all knowing God. That verse to me was an actual confirmation of the changes God had started me on. So I needed to learn the will of God and fully be dependent on this quite unfamiliar path God was leading me on. I wonder how many people have felt the same way I felt this week. Everything might seem to be closing in on you and you might just not understand what to do- my simple answer, learn to fully rely on God,

I read a book some weeks back where a girl was having a conversation with an exchange student. There she was, going on and on about not knowing the future plans and not knowing what to do about it. It felt easy to speak with this stranger because he would not judge and it was just good to get those things off her chest. Well, what she wasn’t counting on were the words the guy would speak after. He asked her to qualify what she had just expressed in one word- she had just one for it- worry. She felt confident in her ability to properly articulate her feelings and then choose the right word to express how she felt. Once again, this stranger surprised her. He told her that there was no need to worry because worry strangles us. She was surprised by this. How the words of a stranger could get through to her so easily. Have you ever thought of the outcome of worry? It basically just keeps you stuck in one position and you suddenly feel overwhelmed. No wonder the Bible says, Worry can rub you of happiness, but kind words will cheer you up (Proverbs 12:25 GNT).

Luckily for me, the same person that sent me that verse, Philippians 1:6, stayed with me on the phone for a very long time and got me laughing like a baby again. I was excited and with that feeling, it got me appreciative of the wonders of God in my life this year. I have the right antidote to fear… that is Joy. Joy has a way of turning you away from worry and making you look to God. This is not you ignoring any issues you might have, it just keeps you dependent on the One who can actually get you out. I can give you a few Bible verses about joy in case you need to use this prescription. The exciting thing about it is there are no side effects and you can never overdose on it.

• Zepheniah 3:17
• Romans 12:12
• Psalm 94:19
• Romans 15:32
• 1 Timothy 6:6 (I really love this one)
• Proverbs 17:22
• Psalm 2:4

That list is not exhaustive, but I’ve got to tell you that each verse is loaded. It’s good to have goals for your life, but then again, it’s always important to appreciate God for the little modifications He’s made to them. I remembered when I prayed for God’s will above mine. I see that God is doing some things in the back end that I can’t see. I sure can’t wait to testify when those things begin to unfold.

Whew!!! That was a long thought. I really do hope you enjoyed reading to the end. I loved sharing my thoughts with you all.

With exceeding love.

Mz_Ola