Things are Different

Years ago, I'd never imagined
How quickly things can alter;
An entire way of life change,
Morphed into something other.

I look back in memory,
See faces, hear laughter,
Think about the All I'd done
The It I was then...

Things are different.
Things change.

Today, I hear the giggles
Of my three year old daughter,
And hear the soft snoring
Of my sleepy husband.

I remember praying for them,
Never giving up hope that
Someone like me would find them:
Husband and Child.

Things are different.
Things change.

I praise my Heavenly Father,
Maker of Heaven and Earth,
Who heard my prayers and heart
And knew the new I needed:

Yes, things are different
Because He allowed them to be;
Things have changed because
He answered my heart's prayer.

Leaving the Graveyard

"You can’t spend your life in the graveyard of guilt dealing with the corpses of the past. Know when things are dead, know when to release them and bury them. If you continue to work with the dry bones of dead issues, you too will begin to decay. No amount of work will resuscitate a corpse. Sign the death certificate and bury the past." --T.D. Jakes Ministries for FB, 12-30-11

The Gift

"The gift, talent or ability God gave you is your key to success. God did not give it to you to be put on display behind a glass showcase. He did not give it to you to waste. Nor did He give it to you for you to hide and deny it out of a false sense of religious humility. God gave you a gift to be poured out, used and invested." --T.D. Jakes Ministries, for FB, Reposted 12-29-11

This quote inspires me to really THINK. What IS my gift, talent, or ability? And how is this gift key to my success? Have I been guilty of putting gifts on a shelf, or hiding them behind a glass showcase, just to occasionally get out and wonder at? Have I wasted my gifts--and, as I probably have, to what degree? Have I been guilty of hiding or denying gifts because of religious reasons. How can I better identify my God-given gifts, better use them and invest them to serve him and accomplish my destiny?

(This is a great thought to ponder as we conclude a year and embark upon another. I pray that I can be found GUILTY of using what God has given me to bless others, enhance the church on earth, and GIVE HIM PRAISE!!!)