Runaway

**Photo courtesy of www.google.ca**

Ever feel like running away? Abandoning every single responsibility and disappearing? I do.

Sometimes, life gets to be...annoying, too much, overwhelming. Sure, you can take a trip somewhere to take the edge off but you always come back home. You know what Dorothy said, "There's no place like home. There's no place like home. "

She had such a love for home that she felt compelled to say it twice and it is true that there just isn't any place like home, even though things happening there may have been the reason we fled in the first place.

We are told that running away from life, when it gets tough, is never the answer. I would like the opportunity to put in a rebuttle. There are days when work has been taxing and life, well, sucks and all you want to do is call a time out.

You want to sit on the sidelines and take a break before your sanity breaks. When you just want to be without chores, lists of things to do, or having to scrub another toilet.

You just want to be free. Free to not go to work, take a 3 hour nap or stay in your pajamas all day. I have been known to be a little over dramatic while in the 'heat of the moment'.

When it feels like the world is coming to an end because a rock was thrown into my newly replaced windshield.  Okay, maybe not the best example.

Life gets to be too much and you find yourself saying, "I am so done". I certainly do some days. So, why does it have to be so hard? Well, it doesn't.

We can take breaks, smell the flowers, and take our own sweet time. Life really isn't meant to be this hard. Often, we make it that way.

When life seems to take a downward spiral, I am reminded of something Jesus said, rather enthusiastically, in fact. His words appear in a book of the Bible called John. John was a beloved follower of Jesus and recorded much of Jesus' ministry. In John 10:10, Jesus is found saying, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Well, I have to admit...that takes the pressure off. I'm supposed to enjoy life. Perhaps, even in the midst of my own train going off the rails. In fact, moreso, I would argue.

You may not be able to escape your surroundings with a trip, but you can leave the house to take a walk or lie in the grass/snow. We are meant to enjoy life.

That means not letting things get to us too much or for too long and just chill. Walk away from the very thing that's sucking the fun out of your life for a while. Yes, that includes your spouse or the credit card bill that just came in the mail.

Take a deep breath and enjoy a life that is meant to be lived abundantly.

Encouragement for the week:

Feeling overwhelmed? Like you're a caged animal in your situation called life?

If you are a Christian reading this, remember that Jesus didn't just come to save you. He also came so that you would live a full and enjoyable life. Don't let your circumstances keep you from having fun.

If you are not a Christian reading this, you can look for Jesus and you will find Him along with life's great abundance and enjoyment that Jesus died for you to have.

Are You Up For It?

"But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded." - 2 Chronicles 15: 7

**Photography by Melissa Talbot**

If someone challenged you to do something difficult, I mean really difficult, would you be up for the challenge without knowing what it was ahead of time? Meaning, you would have to accept or decline knowing little to no detail of the challenge.

Moreso, would it help you to decide if you were told that the outcome of that challenge would be beyond your wildest imagination? What about now, are you up for it?

If I was asked if I wanted to face the challenges I am, a couple months ago, while being told what those things would be, would I have gone through it all? Truthfully, I don't know. Sometimes, it's just better not to know.

It's hard to not only take on a challenge but, also, have the intestinal fortitude to persevere in and through it. At times, it doesn't feel worth it when the pain and heartache seem to outweigh the benefits of sticking things out.

I hope for the best in every circumstance and determine to believe the good in each person. So, when I am faced with something that continues to be difficult, why persevere? Why not give up?

While I may not have certain expectations of the outcome, I have to admit that seeing some kind of positive progress would be encouraging.

Instead, you're left wondering if you missed something along the way - an opportunity to improve yourself or change direction in the midst of a frustrating scenario.

Yet, persevering in seeing things through, there's hope for a positive outcome. Plus, the possibility of something great coming out of a dire situation drives perseverance and can create an inner excitement and anticipation.

There are so many opportunities in life to stick it out and become stronger, better equipped, individuals for it. To decide to dig in our heels and turn up the staying power.

It's true. In my own life, as time passes by and some things get really discouraging and hard, it's my determination and strength that increases and I have fresh energy to keep going, along with reading what the Bible has to say about persevering.

The Bible speaks, many times, of the benefits of holding on and seeing things through. That it's you who will see the rewards because it will be you who is changed in the process of running the race to the end. That, in turn, will be a help and encouragement to others who are struggling in their own life situation.

There is a book called Romans, in the Bible, that tells us how we can expect our character and hope to build when we persevere. Romans 5: 3-4 outlines a few of the rewards as part of going onward and upward, saying, "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." This is cause not just for celebration, but it should give us an expectation that things will get better as you hang in there and a zeal to experience a well lived life.

Encouragement for the week:

Ever wonder what the point of perseverance is? What if you gave up before knowing the outcome?

Is it better to cut your losses and exit a situation relatively unscathed instead of staying with power until the end?

If you are a Christian reading this, we have the joy of receiving great hope and blessings when we persevere in all things, difficult and easy.

If you are not a Christian reading this, you can look for Jesus and you will find Him along with the encouragement to persevere in any life situation.

You Can Choose

**Photo courtesy of google.ca**

Perhaps the greatest gift we have been given is the freedom to choose. To decide a different path in life. To ponder something pleasant over something dreaded. To pursue a passion and take risks instead of playing it safe.

Sometimes we perceive things in our lives as something we are held in. However, that very thing has developed an opening, though ever so slightly. One that is letting in a realization of truth. The truth of choice.

I recently experienced the enormity of choice. Just when I thought I had placed myself in a situation that had no choices, I felt God speak into my mind about that very scenario with the words, "You can decide."

"What?", I thought. How can that be? If I, initially,  believed that I must enter into this commitment as part of obeying God, and now a door of exit is being opened, how exactly does that work? It makes no sense...right?

The amount of time between me accepting the circumstance and hearing God say those three words to me was, literally, weeks. My mind was being blown as the words echoed in my head.

God was changing my perception by lovingly and eagerly telling me that there was another option. I had been met by the Creator of the universe who was giving me an amazing opportunity to decide my own life direction.

My mind never went to all the crazy things I could think of choosing.  Nor did it conjure images of anything immoral,  illegal, or unethical. On the contrary. All thoughts and ideas gravitated toward good, pleasing, and exciting things and how I could glorify God in all of them.

In the Bible, there is a book called Romans. In it, there is mention of God's will - the things He has for us to do and experience in our lives when we decide to follow Him. Romans 12:2 says, "...you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing, and perfect will."

That's right. What God has for us in our lives, no matter what, is good. Whether a challenge or a blessing, something good has the potential of coming from it. It couldn't be more true than it is right now.

Being free to choose excites me. It makes me do a dance that no person should ever feel good about dancing in public while expecting his or her audience to keep a straight face. I feel like I have been set free all over again. Just like the day when I said, "Yes" to following God.

So, the things I am being given freedom to choose, while scary and unknown, gives me a certain confidence to live life with an adventurous spirit, to take risks along the way, and live out loud in the fullness that God intended.

Encouragement for the week:

How would a freedom to choose change you? Your life?

Making decisions in line with desires and passions is a freedom unlike any other. Especially when they are good and pleasing.

If you are a Christian reading this, you know that because of Christ, you have freedom. Don't allow your life to become hindered with debt, possessions, and immorality - the very things that will steal your freedom to live out the full life God desires for you.

If you are not a Christian reading this, you can look for Jesus and you will find Him. The freedom that awaits you in Him will bring so many other freeing choices for your life.

Mending Fences

**Photography by Melissa Talbot**

Living on a farm means there is never a lack of work. There are things that need to be done for a variety of reasons. Especially when you or your neighbor has cattle. A sturdy, well-built fence is your only guarantee of keeping a mating bull from a field full of cows. It's nothing for a determined bull to break through a shoddy and decrepit fence line.

Building or mending a fence takes time, strategy, and meticulous attention to detail. From braces to the posts, lining up the right equipment to the fence nails, it can be an all day event as most fence lines can go for miles.

However, there's no greater feeling than when a five wire barbed fence, in perfect alignment, is completed. The sweat, scratches, and pounding of posts for hours, were worth the finished product. The commitment involved in constructing the perfect fence is not for the faint of heart. It's arduous work with little room for error and no recognition from others of the work done.

Yet, if you stick with it, the rewards of following through on something to the end far surpass the hard work it took to get there. The same can be said when we know there is work to be done in a relationship. When there's a fence in need of mending.

Perhaps, it's in seeking forgiveness for something that was said in the heat of the moment. Or, maybe, it's about talking to that sibling again after too many years have passed. So many, in fact, you've forgotten what caused the silence in the first place. Like a fence, mending relationships takes work and commitment. There might even be some sweating involved.

There is a book in the Bible named Matthew. He was a disciple of Jesus and recorded much of what Jesus taught. Matthew makes a point of noting Jesus' thoughts on when we're at odds with each other.

Jesus says, "...go and be reconciled with your brother...Settle matters quickly..." (Matthew 5: 24-25). Whether a friend or family member, Jesus is telling us to waste no time in making things right and mending the fences that are broken. The time and commitment involved will be more than worth it in the end.

Encouragement for the week:

We may all have situations or relationships in our lives that need some careful mending.

That fence you've taken time to repair will be worth it when you see the finished product. Don't give up.

If you are a Christian reading this, you know that God calls us to be peacemakers and to forgive as He has forgiven you. Don't allow anything to stop you from doing what is right.

If you are not a Christian reading this, you can look for Jesus and you will find Him. A relationship with Him will enable you to mend the broken fences in your life.

Looking Forward

**Photo courtesy of shutterstock.com**

I can't believe it's a new year. What happened to the past twelve months? Where did the time go? It seems like an inventory of my life doesn't happen until a year has passed by.

In a way, the thought of looking back over that amount of time brings panic, regret, and disbelief. Panic over the thought that I did nothing to contribute toward something meaningful.

Regret over not being more adventurous or taking greater risks. Disbelief of how fast the days and months moved. One minute the trees are budding and the next, weather warnings of a winter deep freeze.

I've mentioned in the past that I am not a resolution maker. Yet, I will think of and work toward goals. Goals that are realistic and attainable, encouraging me to set bigger goals.

So, as I look back in time on this past year, there were a couple marks that were set and achieved. One that was especially surprising and exciting - securing a monthly spot as a volunteer freelance writer for an online ministry.

However, there is a nagging sensation in my gut that makes me feel like I missed the bigger mark of experiencing real, inner change. Do I feel any different? Did I grow in the areas I wanted to? That God wanted me to?

While I can be my own worst enemy, as we all can at times, I know that it would have been God, not me, who was keeping me on track, without fully realizing it. He would have been the one shaping me into a woman with more integrity, compassion, and love this year than last.

He would have been the one bringing opportunities that I, initially, didn't pay attention to, and the one who would have helped me understand things never figured out on my own, had I not prayed for understanding.

Incredible.

As much as the world tells us that it's all about external success and achievement, it really isn't. It's not about how much you made or what you bought. It's not even about how much you donated to charity or your church.

It's about you. The part of you that longs for something greater than social status and fame. It's the core of who you want to be that will make a worthwhile impact in the lives of others.

It's the realization that you no longer want to be self-centered but others-centered. You want to be more than in the past. I want to be more this year than last year. I want to grow in ways that the world won't recognize or celebrate.

So, while I can beat myself up for the things that, maybe, I should have accomplished in the past twelve months, there is so much more and it had to begin on the inside. I need it to be on the inside for it to matter.

Instead of looking back and making note of what should or shouldn't have happened, I'm looking forward. I'm taking what I experienced, learned and struggled with last year, and will use it to grow this year. This causes me to believe that I haven't missed the mark but am right on target.

Encouragement for the week:

What happens inside of you when you ponder the last twelve months of 2017? What feelings surface?

If you feel as though you have missed the mark, think again. You might just be on target.

If you are a Christian reading this, you know it's not about the material or professional that matters. Aim for the target to grow and change for God this coming year.

If you are not a Christian reading this, you can look for Jesus and you will find Him. He has great plans for you that include helping you grow and change into the person you long to be.