Live It Articles Take Heart

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  Isaiah 43:18-19

May was a month full of graduations in our family.  Our granddaughter, Christen (Shari & Jeff’s middle child), graduated from Texas A & M University and the next weekend we traveled to Austin to watch our grandson, Tal (John & Lisa’s oldest), graduate from the University of Texas.

The day after Christen’s graduation we celebrated with a grand party at Christen’s home and then on Memorial Day weekend, our family all gathered at our property at the bay for a party to celebrate Tal’s graduation the week before.

As I write these words, my husband, Johnny, is just two treatments away from completing five months of chemo.  God blessed us by giving Johnny the strength to attend both graduations, even though it involved a day of traveling for each one. We are, and will continue to be, forever grateful to our God for this miracle.

This month, I want to talk to you about the verse above because I am acutely aware that God is always doing a new thing in our lives.  When Hurricane Ike hit on September 13, 2008, our lives were instantly turned upside down.  We went from having a lovely home on Galveston Bay to having no home and no furnishings.  Looking back on that experience has given me insight that I didn’t have while we were going through that dreadful time.

God gave us 11 wonderful years living on the water, but that is now in the past.  Because He is doing a new thing in our lives, it was necessary to move us back into Houston. Today, I see clearly that I would never have been willing to move if that house was still standing.  Let me share with you a few of my observations.

When God does a new thing in our lives, we must leave the past behind.
After Hurricane Ike we lived in our next door neighbors home for two months.  Johnny and I have never been more miserable than we were during that time.  One day Johnny said, “We need to move back to Houston” and within two weeks we moved back.  A dear friend rented us her beautiful, furnished townhome and we lived there for 15 months not needing a thing.  During this time, God was weaning us from the water and also showing us that where we were living was the place he wanted us to be permanently.

Our dog, Meathead must be walked several times a day and on these walks I met some of the nicest people in the world.  Many Christians live in this townhome community and little by little, we knew that God’s plan was for us to settle here. A few months ago, God gave us a wonderful townhome that has a downstairs bedroom and bath, which we need for Johnny.  Our son, John, was free to oversee the renovating of the townhome and today we live in a place that feels like a brand new home.  We are so thankful that God knew where we needed to be and that He led me to call my friend, Linda. that day in December, 2008. 

When God is doing a new thing, we must be aware of it.
His Hand in all this is so evident today.  During this period, First Place has become an independent ministry and I needed to be closer to work.  During this period, Johnny has needed for me to be closer to him and it has been a blessing to be able to drive five minutes to get to him instead of 46 miles.

I wonder if God desires to do a new thing in your life today?  Maybe your life has been radically shaken and you can’t fathom how God could have your ultimate good in mind.  Take heart, my friend; God knows where you are and He loves you too much to let you stay there.

Have you gained back all the weight you lost?  God wants to do a new thing in your life today. Past victories are just that; they are in the past. God wants to do a new thing and wants to hold your hand every step of the way.  Begin again with Him and give Him first place in all you do.  The weight will come off and He will gain glory from the changes He helps you make.  The secret is to know that God’s plans for you are good and that He will lead us every step of the way on this journey called life.

Is your marriage in shambles?  God wants to do a new thing in your life today.  Forget the past and begin again with God guiding your words and your actions.  Give Him first place in your marriage and you will see miracles you never believed possible.

Money problems?  Today is the first day of the rest of your life.  Give God first place today and let Him take control of your finances.  He knows where you are and He cares.  Your problems are not problems for God. 

His desire is to make us Holy and He will do whatever it takes, including allowing life shaking events to bring us to Him for the help we need.

Next month, I will continue this article and cover some more observations I have gleaned during the last 18 months.  Tune in next month for the rest of the story.

Notice to all you First Place 4 Health leaders and potential leaders:

After our annual Leadership Summit, we will spend Saturday afternoon at our place at the bay.  We still have the pier and our boat, so we will have a grand afternoon together.  We can’t wait to see you and we so hope you will make plans to join us for the Leadership Summit, July 30-31, 2010.

Carole

When Carole attended the First Place orientation in March of 1981, she eagerly anticipated what God might want to do in her life. She had recently seen an old friend that looked great and who reminded her that they were soon approaching 40 years old. Carole determined she did not want to be "fat and 40." She joined First Place and soon lost 20 pounds. Learning how to bring balance to her life, she became a First Place leader to motivate others to achieve this goal.

Carole is a popular speaker and author of the books, Choosing to Change, First Place 4 Health, Today Is the First Day, Living Well, Back on Track, A Thankful Heart, Stop it, The Divine Diet, and Mother/Daughter Legacy. Carole regularly leads Conferences, Wellness Weeks, Change Your Life Events and seminars across the country in the areas of personal balance, fitness, encouragement and temperament analysis. Her audiences know her as warm, honest and humorous.