Do Your Part!

I've always wanted to be an inspiration to others. That desire pushed me to ask myself, "What can I write, say or do to accomplish that goal?" I frantically sought out projects and opportunities to become this "inspiration" that I envisioned so earnestly. One day I just cradled my head in my hands and with a sigh spoke out loud, "What do I do Lord? I just want to be an inspiration to others!" In a still quiet voice He said three words that radically changed my mindset and perspective, "You already are." BAM! Talk about a revelation. I had to sit back in my chair and heave another sigh, but this time it was of relief. "I already am?" I repeated half questioning what I'd heard. Then with a sense of faith and confidence I repeated once more, "I ALREADY AM!"

Sometimes we work so hard at something only to become disallusioned because we don't recognize or appreciate the impact it has on others. We look for the hoopla and fanfare and miss the simple satisfaction of just being who God created us to be each day. If we are authentic in our living in Christ by  modeling Him while maximizing our gifts and abilities--fulfillment will be a natural by product.

What do you desire in your heart? Pray for God to show you how to realize those desires in your "day to day". Be faithful over it and enjoy each moment of it. Don't worry about the impact--leave that to the Holy Spirit. He will do His part if you do yours:)

In His Stillness

The deafening silence

Awakens my soul

An I hear His possibilities

~Odetta Li

12 ^1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Romans 12:1-2(MSG)

Are You Jealous?

Ah...the pangs of jealousy. At some point in our lives we've shot those darts of jealousy or received them in the back a few times but...consider the following:

Why do you want green eyes?
What makes them so unique?
Why do they turn heads
When they come prancing down the street?
Green eyes are very pretty
Till they meet some others greener
Then those green eyes that you meet
Can suddenly get meaner!
Those green eyes start to envy
What you have and what they don't
You pray that they get nicer
But without it they just won't
Those green eyes become a monster
Piercing right into the heart
Taking out the greener ones
Just ripping them apart.
Why do you want green eyes?
What makes them so impressive?
Those green eyes sure are pretty
Until they get possessive!
~Odetta Li

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!   Matthew 6:22-23

Here's a link to a cool Christian woman's blog posting about jealousy---the green eyed monster.

http://femmetotale.wordpress.com/?s=jealousy

Do You Have A Dream?

What happened to the dream I dreamed?
Was it adjourned to a later date?
Found comatose in a vegetative state?
Was it hidden in a basement somewhere?
Discovered molded and in despair?

What happened to that dream I dreamed?
Did it sneak off on a quick hiatus,
Hoping for a more prominent status?

Waiting for just the right time to make its debut
That dream I dreamed...
~Odetta Li

Have you ever dreamed of doing something BIG? You stay awake at night excited with the promise of fulfillment and success. In your excitement, you share your dream with someone who doesn't quite catch the same vision and then discouragement comes. The dream begins to fade like watercolors in the sun...
Well don't let the naysayers bury your dream with your permission. Snatch them from the grave and hold them up to the sun! They are still alive and ready to grow. Start with baby steps and celebrate even the small successes. You can do it:)

Write the vision, and make it plain on tables, that he may run that reads it.
Habakkuk 2:2

Slow Your Roll!

One day I hired a local teenager to cut the "mile high" grass on the front lawn of the house I’d moved into. When I pulled into the driveway I was very happy and satisfied to see how well the grass had been neatly cut and trimmed. Feeling very "outdoorsy" at the time I decided I would go out and further inspect the lawn work before going to the local grocery store to buy some cheerful flowers for my dining room table. As I walked around the far side of the house to my surprise there were four rose bushes that had borne beautiful pink roses, but to my dismay the blooms had already started to wither. I couldn't believe it! Here I was buying flowers at the store when I had even more lovely ones right under my nose. Sadly, I hadn't paid attention or taken the time out of my busyness to even notice that I had rose bushes!

Sometimes life can be so full of duties and distractions that we fail to notice God's beauty all around us. We have literally forgotten to "stop and smell the roses". God "gives us richly all things to enjoy" according to 1Timothy 6:17, but it's pretty difficult to do this if we are living our lives at lightning speed!

I challenge you to slow down, take time  and begin to take notice of all the wonderful things God has placed in your life. Take a journal, jot down why you are thankful for them and reflect on them when you begin feeling distracted or overwhelmed. Remember the moral of the Tortoise and the Hare story? Slow and steady wins the race!

Think about this...

Why do we spend so much time

Looking for time?

When the moment comes

We miss it

Looking the other way.

-Odetta Li

New Living Translation (NLT)

“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
    Remind me that my days are numbered—
    how fleeting my life is. Psalm 39:4

Take time to ENJOY the weekend and the video:)

Gray hair? Really??

                                                                    

Okay...yesterday I had 10 gray hairs on my head. TODAY I have like 27! Really God?? Is this really necessary? Something really happens after 40. Yes the body changes and gravity sets in. Personally I think God should exempt us women from gray hair all together. I mean we already get the sags, hot flashes and mood swings right? Why do the men get to look good when the gray starts coming out on their heads and faces? "Ohhhh he looks sooo distinguished!" Yeah whatever! Now granted--there are a few woman that look absolutely dope with gray hair. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be one of them. Nevertheless---I'm sure God has a purpose even for the gray hair in our life. This is my thought...

Gray

God gives gray

To remind us

That today is

One less

With eternity looming

Are you assuming?

That you’ve done all you could

Been all you should?

Gray hair

There

To remind us

To number our days

Finding ways

To glorify

The gray Giver.

~Odetta Li

Proverbs 16:31
“Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.” (NIV)

Well okay...that's perspective. By the way...here's an interesting article:)
http://crazygata.hubpages.com/hub/What-to-do-about-this-gray-hair

Shut up!

Shut Up

Shut up…

The words you say

When you don’t know

A better way

To say

Shut up

~Odetta Li

Yes-- I said these words to someone yesterday after finally reaching my boiling point We we're having a discussion..well not quite a discussion. It was just...DRAMA! I always feel badly after saying these words because I remember telling my children that these were unacceptable words to use. Neverless they came falling--no shooting out of my mouth. Why did I say them? Anger. Frustration. It doesn't matter. Word sting, hurt and can be damaging. I'm not perfect and I hate feeling that my tongue got the best of me--that time. It's in the past now and though the emotion was justified--the weaponry of the tongue was not. Sooo...I will apologize for that at least.

Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. Psalm 141:3

Is your life feeling stale?

It's true...the past is behind you. You can choose to make the winter of your discontent a fading memory.Spring is here and so are new opportunities start fresh and proactively refocus your life. God has equipped you and you are well able to dream again. So...take a moment to breathe and enjoy the simplest pleasures of spring.

"Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:19 ESV


Spring bud
So crisp and fresh
Waiting
Just waiting...
Bursts open!
With fragrant anticipation
It drinks in spring's waters
So alive
So alive!
~Odetta Li