Cathy Bryant's Blog: CatBryant.com ~ Journey Blog, page 43

God-Centered

Imagine all life centered around God.

(In the bigger scheme of things, God already is central to life, but people often fail to see it or to live it out in their lives.)

In Numbers 1, the LORD God commands Moses to take a census of the men twenty years and upward for the purpose of forming an army. God would lead this army through the wilderness and into the promised land.

Appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, all its furnishings, and everything in it. They are to transport the tabernacle and all its articles, take care of it, and camp around it. Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to stop at a campsite, the Levites are to set it up. Any unauthorized person who comes near it must be put to death. “The Israelites are to camp by their military divisions, each man with his encampment and under his banner. The Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the Israelite community.” -Numbers 1:50-53

The tabernacle sat in the center of the camp, a vivid reminder that the LORD was to be at the center of their nation. Next the Levites encircled the tabernacle, not only because of their responsibility to care for it and to carry it when on the move, but also to show that the family of priests were the mediators between God and man. Numbers 1:53 says: “so that wrath will not fall on the Israelite community.”

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: What are the implications of this arrangement of the Israelites for us today?

Truthfully, God should always be at the center of all we do–personally, corporately, and nationally. And believers, as a kingdom of priests, need to be the liaisons between God and the world so that wrath will not fall on the whole community of the world. We serve as mediators and intercessors, purveyors of the heavenly message of who God is and His unique but perfect plan: to redeem the world from slavery to sin through the perfect, complete, and once-for-all sacrifice of the Lamb of God.

How different would life in this world be if we all gave God His rightful place at the center of everything?

Holy God, LORD of all that is, we confess that we sometimes fail to keep You at the center of our individual lives. And honestly, as a kingdom of priests and the bride and church of Christ, we mess up in this area too. Without doubt our nation has failed to give You Your rightful place. Help us Lord, to center our thoughts, our behavior, our very lives on You and You alone. Help us to be a kingdom of priests to a lost and dying world. Thank You for providing the spotless and perfect Lamb of God as the sacrifice for our sin. May that sacrifice be constantly at the front of our minds to remind us to keep You at the center. In His precious name we pray, Amen.

A Path Less Traveled Made it to the Top 100 in the Kindle Store Freebies!

Here’s an embedded post from my Facebook page where I shared that A PATH LESS TRAVELED made it to the Topp 100 in the Kindle Store free category. Several of my Facebook friends shared the giveaway, so I wanted to share the book’s status and thank them for their help. I’m always amazed at what a little sharing can do! (In fact, the embedded Facebook status is share-able! How cool is that? (BTW, the ebook is free through Monday night!)

Post by Cathy Bryant.

Special Coupon Offer for THE WAY OF GRACE and PILGRIMAGE OF PROMISE

To grab your coupon, just go to my Facebook author page, click on the RED Book Coupon button, ‘Like’ my Facebook author page (if you haven’t already), and insert your e-mail address to receive a coupon code good for either $1 off a print copy of THE WAY OF GRACE or $1 off a print copy PILGRIMAGE OF PROMISE. Be sure to follow the instructions in the form below! And I would really appreciate it if you could share the contest by sharing the following tweet or by sharing with Facebook! Thanks!

#Coupon – $1 off print copy of THE WAY OF GRACE or PILGRIMAGE OF PROMISE #Christian #Fiction by @Cathy_Bryant Pls RT! http://t.co/wMXH5cPqMB

— Cathy Bryant (@Cathy_Bryant) February 16, 2014

My Personal Romance Novel, A Bridge Unbroken Novel Update, & Other News

Before we get started on the book updates for A Bridge Unbroken, let me wish all of you a wonderful Valentine’s Day! You can see me at the left with my sweetie, and after the crazy week I’ve had, I’m looking forward to being able to spend some time with my hubby for a nice romantic dinner tonight.

For those of you haven’t already heard the story of my own personal romance novel, Travis and I were great friends for three years before we started dating. We only dated for about six weeks before he popped the question and I said “Yes!” Now over thirty years later, I love him even more than I did back then (and at the time I didn’t think that was possible).

He is truly my ‘real-life’ hero, and I feel incredibly blessed that God gave him to me. By vocation, he is a minister of praise and worship, but in addition to that hat, he’s helping me renovate our mountain cabin, get our chickens, rabbits, and gardening going, and even takes over many of the household chores when I’m in book-writing mode. (He’s the normal cook in our house already, while I do most of the yard work/gardening. That’s what you call role-reversal in my occupation…)

In addition to all this, Travis is one of my biggest supporters and cheerleaders for my writing and book promotion. He and my Mom (and the newly-formed Miller’s Creek Main Street Team) help me through some of the toughest parts of my job. Love you, honey!

Speaking of the Miller’s Creek Main Street Team, we are now twenty-two members strong and still growing. As of the writing of this post we have ten spots open, but those are filling up fast. We’d love to have you join the team. This awesome group helped send my promotional giveaway of A Path Less Travel to the top of the charts in one day’s time by sharing links and promotional pics like the one to the right. If you’d like to join the group just leave me a comment.

Now on to the novel update.

What a week! My first-ever post at the collaborative author site, InspyRomance.com took place yesterday (still not too late to enter the book giveaway of Pilgrimage of Promise) at the same exact time that I had a freebie promotion going at Amazon (not too late for that either). I was up all night Wednesday night trying to get ready, and then spent most of the day yesterday keeping all the balls in the air. I’m happy to report that as far as I know, none of them fell. Of course, I might’ve been dozing…

I did manage to get some writing done earlier in the week, though not as much as I’d hoped. When a friend at church asked how the writing was going, I told them I was “somewhere between the middle and the end.” (And that would be true.)

One of the tricky balancing acts for authors is promoting the books they’ve already written while writing the next book and hopefully sparking a buzz of interest at the same time. (And you thought all I had to do was write a book.) Though it might sound like I’m complaining, I’m not. I love what I do in spite of the numb derriere, all-nighters, stiff neck/shoulders, and permanently arched fingers. (Not to mention the fact that it makes my body resemble the potato-like figure in the pic above.)

One of the new things I started this week–and I am soooooooo excited about–is the Miller’s Creek Novels Reader’s Group. (Try saying that three times fast!) If you’ve read one or all of the MC books and would like to join us for fun book chats, click this LINK. (Still acquainting myself with the way groups work, so we might have to jump through some hoops to make it happen. That’s okay. We’ll get there.)

Well, I’ve rambled long enough when I need to bet back to story-land so I can move ever closer to that light at the end of the tunnel. (And prayin’ it’s not a train…)

Live loved,

P.S. If you have the time would you mind sharing the following tweets and giveaways? To share the pics on your social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest are especially good places to use images), just right click on the pic and save it to your computer. Once you’ve downloaded it in the places you choose, you can delete the photo from your files. Thank you soooo much!

 

 

 

 

 

 

#Christian #romance autographed print #Book #giveaway at http://t.co/559cyPggc6 PILGRIMAGE OF #PROMISE by @Cathy_Bryant 4.9 stars

— Cathy Bryant (@Cathy_Bryant) February 13, 2014

For #Valentines: #Free #Kindle Feb13-17 A PATH LESS TRAVELED #4.5stars #Christian #Romance http://t.co/hGSLzvHL8x

— Cathy Bryant (@Cathy_Bryant) February 13, 2014

 

A PATH LESS TRAVELED Free For Kindle February 13-17, 2014

Hey, everyone! Hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day, weekend, and President’s Day!

In celebration of all the above, A PATH LESS TRAVELED (Book 2 in the Miller’s Creek Novels) will be free for Kindle or Kindle apps (phone, tablet, PC) February 13-17, 2014. As of the writing of this post, the book is ranked at 4.5 stars with 117 reviews.

Here are a few review snippets:

“Amazing story of faith, healing, and love.”

“I’ve been hooked.”

“I thought the first book was amazing, this one was even better!! I learned so much about faith and trusting God.”

Here’s the book info:

A widowed woman, her traumatized son, & the man who loves them both . . . Trish James is tired of being rescued. When a spooked horse claims her husband’s life, she’s determined to blaze a path for herself and her traumatized son without outside help. But will that mean leaving the place etched on her heart?

Please share this giveaway with your friends by using the share buttons below! Thanks! Live loved,

P.S. Don’t forget to check out the Pilgrimage of Promise autographed print copy giveaway in the next post! And if you’re so inclined please share the following tweet to let others know about the freebie days. Thank you!

#Free for #Kindle Feb13-17 A PATH LESS TRAVELED by @Cathy_Bryant #faith #Christian #romance 4.5 stars http://t.co/ihVQsPsbqa

— Cathy Bryant (@Cathy_Bryant) February 13, 2014

Blogging at InspyRomance.com (& Book Giveaway!)

Hey, everyone! Today I’m blogging at InspyRomance.com about the relentless love of our Lord. Hope you can drop by to enter the giveaway of an autographed print copy of Pilgrimage of Promise. All you have to do is leave a comment to enter. I’d love to see you there! (Oh, and by the way, would you mind sharing the following tweet about the giveaway? Thank you so much!)

#Book #giveaway of PILGRIMAGE OF PROMISE (4.9 stars) #Christian #LoveStory by @Cathy_Bryant http://t.co/559cyPggc6

— Cathy Bryant (@Cathy_Bryant) February 13, 2014

Here’s the scoop on the book I’m giving away:

Broken promises, enduring love…

Book 4 – Miller’s Creek novels

A dusty stack of unopened love letters forces Bo and Mona Beth Miller to revisit a part of

their past they’d rather leave buried –especially in the face of death . Only as they retrace history will they learn the truth about the shattered promise that threatens to come between them. But can their relationship endure the deception and sabotage they unearth, or will the experience compel them to trust more fully in the promises that never fail?

3 Tips For Daily Scheduling

So far in our Christian life-management series, we’ve discussed defining our roles, creating mission statements, and the Biblical basis and mechanics of goal-setting. Today we’ll narrow our focus even more as we discuss daily schedules.

Tip #1: Categorize your to-do list.

It’s been my life experience that items on my to-do list fall into one of four categories: putting out fires, smoking, cruising, or stalled. Here’s what I mean by this.

In ‘putting out fires,’ this is a get-it-done ASAP, high-priority item. No procrastinating. Usually, it flares up at the worst possible moment, demanding your attention.

The ‘smoking’ category is for those things that might be considered urgent, but on closer inspection they’re not all that important. You may have to deal with these items, but they’re not necessarily a high priority.

‘Cruising’ is my personal favorite. These are those items that are important, but not a catch-my-hair-on-fire-trying-to-get-it-done kind of thing. It’s enjoyable in this category, a place of being pro-active and productive, so this is where I like to spend most of my time. NOTE: This category is also where we are most in line with your roles, mission statement, and goals.

‘Stalled’ is where we have to watch out. These are the to-do list items that can suck up all our time if we’re not careful. And generally speaking, these are not all that important. Things like e-mail, phone calls, television, social media. We get into them thinking we’ll only spend a few minutes, and then four hours later…

So in this first tip, grab a piece of paper and divide it into fourths. Write down those fire-fighting activities first, the things that cannot be left undone for one more minute. They go on your schedule first.

In the second box, write down the cruisers. These things must take a high priority in your life, even if they’re not urgent. If you don’t schedule time for these, you’ll get to the end of your day without them being completed. Schedule them next.

Next list the smokers, the ones that have a sense of urgency, but aren’t all that important on closer inspection. Choose one or two to add to your schedule IF you have time.

Last of all schedule a few minutes to take care of those things that can steal your time if you’re not careful. If necessary, set a timer. On your mark, get set, go! Once that timer goes off, click out and move on.

You may want to create a code of some sort to put next to each item so you can tell at a glance what is most important. Use stickers or highlighters to keep yourself on track.

Tip #2: Keep a daily planner.

This might go without saying, but you need a central location to write things down as you think of them. You may want to keep a master to-do list and move items to your daily schedule as needed. If something doesn’t get done, move it to the next day, after categorizing the item.

You can also keep business cards and paper scraps with important info here, to help you keep up with it all. This also a good place to write down computer passwords, important phone numbers, and addresses.

Tip#3: Get into the habit of updating your planner on a daily basis.

Put a check next to items as you complete them. This serves as motivation. Take a few minutes at the start of your day or the end of the previous day to write down your prioritized schedule. Schedule weekly time to get ready for the following week.

While daily scheduling might seem like just another chore to add to your already packed day, it will save you time and frustration in the long run.

These tips have helped me be more intentional about living my life. By following them in cohesion with my roles, mission, and goals, I am more productive and reach my goals in a timely manner.

I’d love to hear your tips for life-management, especially as it concerns your daily schedule. Have questions? Let me know in the comments.

Live loved!

Goal-Setting, Part 2: The Mechanics

Today makes day four of our life-management series from a Christian worldview. First we learned how to take a prayerful and honest look at the hats we wear based on our God-given abilities, those roles that define who we are.

Next we used those roles to create a mission statement, to further fine-tune what we sense God leading us to do and to be.

Yesterday we discussed the scriptural basis for goal-setting so we fully grasp the best (and Biblical) approach to making plans and decisions.

Today we’re going to get to the nitty-gritty of setting goals that fit in with our roles and mission statements.

Being the best life managers we can possibly be is a matter of stewardship, which some equate with only finances. God gave us this life, the air we breathe, and every beat of our hearts. He also gave us our gifts and abilities. We’re accountable to Him for how we use not only our financial resources, but also our time and talents.

The purpose of goal-setting is to head in a certain direction. Like the picture above, we reach our life’s end through a series of baby steps. Where we are at the end of our life depends on the choices, decisions, and goals we’ve made. One dot connects to the next until our picture is complete. We have long-term goals (those which are one to two years in the future), medium-term goals (those from two to twelve months), and short-term goals (those we want to reach within the next few weeks).

I start with long-term goals and work backward, because many short-term goals lead toward the completion of long-term goals. Here’s an example: As a writer (one of my God-given roles), I desire to write as many books as possible for the purpose of sharing Christ and glorifying God (mission statement). In light of that life prayer, I set long-term goals (write four books this year), medium-term goals (finish two books by the end of June), and short-term goals (finish the rough draft of A Bridge Unbroken by the end of February). Notice that the short-term goal is ultra-specific. More on that in a moment.

Start With Your Roles

Grab a piece of paper. If you haven’t done so already, write down your life’s roles. Some can be combined if necessary, but try to limit yourself to seven or less. (Word of warning: the more hats you wear, the busier your life will be.) Once you’ve tweaked those move on to your…

Mission Statement

This document can be as simple or complex as you want to make it and in whatever form that works for you. The main thing is to identify one or two driving forces, those targets you’re aiming at, within each role. Write it down, type it up, print it out. Keep your mission statement visible, so you can check yourself against it frequently.

Goals

As a teacher-in-training, I had to learn to write goals according to a certain format, a skill that has proved valuable in my personal life. Goals have to meet the following criteria in order to be effective.

S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Attainable
R = Realistic
T = Time Frame

Without being specific, goals tend to be vague and hazy. Without being measurable, we can’t determine when goals are met.  Without attainability, why have the goal in the first place? Without being realistic, you’re fighting a losing battle. And without a time frame, your goals can drag on forever, even for an entire lifetime.

Now using my example above of long-, medium-, and short-term goals, prayerfully consider what goals you’d like to reach in each role of your life. I would limit yourself to three of each kind of goal (long, medium short) for each role to keep from being overwhelmed. In fact, you might want to focus on only a few of those roles to start out with.

Personal life example: We are in the process of renovating a house we purchased last May. From May through December, my focus was on getting some really nasty house issues taken care of before our family came for Christmas. At the same time, my original goal for the writing of book five in the Miller’s Creek novels was to write the rough draft in November of last year.

I tried it. I stayed up late and woke up early. I burned the candle at both ends. The result? I was frantic, unhappy, and overwhelmed. In the end I conceded defeat. I had to change my goals, which meant prioritizing. For me, it was more important to get the house in livable condition than writing the rough draft, so I dropped the story for the short-term. Because of that decision, I now feel the pressure of promising to have this book out by spring, so I’m focused on finishing the book. Those renovation projects? Shelved for the moment.

The point is this: use that inner compass the Lord gives you. You’ll know when those goals have to be re-worked. It’s VERY important to remember that goals are like budgets. They’re a plan, not a contract. They’re not chiseled in stone. They can be changed!

Okay, back to writing our goals. Make sure they’re specific (not I want to lose weight, but I want to lose ten pounds), measurable, attainable, realistic (not I want to lose fifty pounds in two weeks), and have a time attached (I want to lose ten pounds by my daughter’s wedding in the fall).

Oooh, notice how I added a motivation in that last example? This helps so much! To give your goals extra punch, list the benefits of reaching each goal and how you’ll feel if you fail.

This might take time. That’s okay. Wait for the Lord’s answers in writing all this down. Jot down notes as you receive His inspiration. Once you’re finished, it’s just a matter of adding new short- and medium-term goals as you reach the old ones.

Then about once a year, repeat the process, starting with your roles. See if any have changed. If so it will require tweaking your mission statement, which you might want to do anyway. I find that January, June, and September are those times of the year that seem to motivate me to check on all this, but it might be different for you.

That’s enough for today. Next we’ll tackle those pesky daily schedules.

Until then…live loved!

 

 

 

P.S. Any tips on goal-setting? Or maybe questions? Please share them in the comments below!

Closing the Door at WordVessel (Special Note to RSS and E-mail Subscribers)

Wow, as I sit down to write the final post for this blog, I'm on emotional overload. Closing down WordVessel is like saying a final goodbye to someone special--someone who has helped you, given you a place to turn, given you a way to share your thoughts.

I launched WordVessel back in 2008 as a way to record my adventure into the wonderful world of writing. Since then, the blog has morphed into more of a devotional site more than anything else.

But now it's time to say goodbye. I've moved my blog to my author website: http://www.CatBryant.com, where I will continue to pen devotional posts and my thoughts on life in general. Most of the previous posts will eventually be transferred to my website as well.

SPECIAL NOTE TO SUBSCRIBERS: Whether through RSS feed or Email, I want to thank all my subscribers for their support and loyalty. I have tried to export the RSS feed and Email subscribers to my other blog, but without success. I hate to lose you as a subscriber, so if you don't mind please head to my website and click on the 'Blog' tab.

In the side bar of the blog, you will find a place to sign up for blog updates via e-mail. There is also a place to sign up for my author newsletter of new releases. While blog updates will be frequent, the new release newsletter is infrequent, mainly for the purpose of informing readers of the release of a new book.

To sign up for RSS feed at my website, you can look above the header, at the far right side, or in the footer to sign up. Just click the little radio signal button. This will transfer the blog posts to the home page of your e-mail provider or whatever reader you choose to use.

So, it is with mixed feelings I bid adieu to the blog that helped launch my writing career, and close the door at WordVessel, knowing that as this door closes another opens. Like the picture above says, as one door closes another opens. Time to head for the open door.

Thank you again, dear subscribers. Hope to see you all at CatBryant.com.

Much love,

Goal-Setting For Believers, Part 1: A Biblical Basis

I know there are gazillions of books about organizing and managing our lives out there. My purpose in writing this series of life-management blog posts wasn’t to try to compete with the advice which already exists; instead, my purpose is to view these techniques in light of our faith-walk with Christ.

To kick off this series of blog posts, we began with the broad-stroke picture of defining the hats we wear. Next we narrowed our focus and discussed the use of those God-given roles to create a mission statement. Today and tomorrow, we’ll zoom the camera in even closer to see how to set goals in light of our roles and mission statements.

I’ve heard well-known Christian leaders oppose goal-setting with the rationale of going their own way instead of letting God lead. While I understand their viewpoint, I tend to side with other Christian leaders who believe and teach that goal-setting is not only okay, but Biblical.

So for this post, we’ll take a look at various verses in the Bible that relate to goal-setting and planning. Then in the next post we’ll get down to the nuts and bolts. Consider the following verses and thoughts:

A Biblical Basis for Goal-Setting

Proverbs 24:27 “Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.”

Isaiah 32:8 “But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand.”

Luke 14:28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?”

Philippians 3:13-14  “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Throughout the Bible, there is evidence of planning and setting goals.

Time Belongs To God and His Plans/Purposes Will Prevail

As Sovereign God who exists outside of this linear thing we call time, we are wise to remember that it’s not our time, but His! Like David, I must acknowledge “my times are in Your hands…” (Psalm 31:15) and “all my days were written in Your book and planned

before a single one of them began.” (Psalm 139:16) His plans and purposes will prevail, and I for one, am extremely glad! I would hate to reach a goal only to find it opposed to God’s plan. In our goal-setting, we must never forget that He is God!

Acts 1:7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority.”

Proverbs 16:4 “The Lord has made everything [to accommodate itself and contribute] to its own end and His own purpose—even the wicked [are fitted for their role] for the day of calamity and evil.”

Psalm 33:11 ”But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.”

Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

Psalm 127:1 “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.”

James 4:13-15 “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’”

His Desires Become Our Desires

The Bible clearly teaches that if we seek God and His will for our lives, He will guide our thinking to match His desires.

Proverbs 16:3 “Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.”

Psalm 37:4-5 “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Proverbs 3:6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will direct your paths.”

I love these verses. As one who leans too heavily toward the paralysis of analysis, scripture reveals how God guides our thoughts when we commit our work and plans to Him. In addition, He promises that our plans (AKA goals) will be established and succeed. LOVE that!

I once had a different interpretation of Psalm 37:4-5, naively (and inaccurately) believing that  if I delighted in the LORD, He’d give me whatever I wanted. Though at first glance that might seem to be true, if you dig a little deeper you’ll realize that when we make God our delight, His desires become our desires.

Don’t Get Hasty or Haughty!

At the same time, a word of caution is advisable. It behooves us to not pridefully rush into anything, but allow time for God to speak His truth to our hearts and minds. Haughty haste in setting our plans and goals can be disastrous. If we’ve truly prayed through things, seeking God’s will, He’ll help us out. And if we take a wrong turn, He’ll let us know that, too!

Proverbs 21:5 “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.”

James 4:13-15 “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’”

 

God Knows Our Heart

 

As we prayerfully set our goals and plans, we need to do what I call a heart-check. What is the motivation behind our goals? If our motivation is wrong, the goal will be wrong, too. This verse says it best:

 

Proverbs 16:2 “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits (the thoughts and intents of the heart).”

The Role of Repentance in Goal-Setting

Job 22:22-28 “Acquaint now yourself with Him [agree with God and show yourself to be conformed to His will] and be at peace; by that [you shall prosper and great] good shall come to you. Receive, I pray you, the law and instruction from His mouth and lay up His words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty [and submit and humble yourself before Him], you will be built up; if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents, If you lay gold in the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brook [considering them of little worth], And make the Almighty your gold and [the Lord] your precious silver treasure, Then you will have delight in the Almighty, and you will lift up your face to God. You will make your prayer to Him, and He will hear you, and you will pay your vows. You shall also decide and decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light [of God’s favor] shall shine upon your ways.”

This passage for Job is loaded with valuable wealth for goal-setting. Notice the steps to repentance listed here: confession (agreeing with God); turning back to Him in humble submission; receiving His Word into our hearts, minds, and lives; putting sin behind us; and making God more important to us than anything else.

Now notice the results as related to goal-setting: Our decision/goals will be established.

 

I don’t know about you, but these verses have me both pumped up and prayerful. As believers, we can’t leave God out of our decision-making and planning. To do so is foolish. But we also don’t have to wander around aimlessly, as indicated by the verses above.

Tomorrow we’ll talk about the practice of setting goals.

Please share your thoughts and other scripture in the comments below.

Until then…Live Loved!