Why Not Immediately?

So I am in New York right now, after spending sometime with the family for Christmas and New Year's. But today,  I want to make a quick note about last week: sorry I wasn't able to write last Monday. I was just swarmed with a lot of things. But no worries, here I am punching the keys again.

I got yesterday morning, Sunday, ready to head out for a run. I love morning runs. Having checked the weather forecast a few days before, I knew it would be a little warm today, about 30 plus. The temps have been hovering around 17 to 27 degrees the last few days, so it makes it a little unwise to go out for a run in that fridge.

But I did go today, and it was fun. Slippery streets from ice drops overnight sought to get in the way, but I wanted to find a way past it. The run got me warm and fresh, helping me shake of the slug that accumulates when I don't get the chance to go out and run. When I am not able, I do go up and down the staircase in my highrise ( about 38 floors high) when I am not able to go outside to run. It helps, but it's not the same.

But anyway, I got through the run, went home and got ready for church. The church's not too far from where I live---it's about 5 minutes away. So in no time,  I was there, seated and ready to get take in the service.

You know the routine: Praise and worship, offering, and then the sermon, which is why I am writing this post. The sermon got me.

The Pastor, Pastor Jesus Goyco, was the designated preacher, and using the United States Army's soldier's creed, he connected that to our creed as Christians, and why we should keep the Jesus's mission first at all times, just as American soldiers do in keeping the president's mission. He himself has served in the military for about 8 years, and has personal experiences of how vital it is to be mindful of the overall and principal mission, and why it's important to always be ready.

I sat and thought about it all. Having planned to share the Word of God in the subway before heading out to New York, I thought of taking a little initiative to follow through on it. I have not been able to share the Word much on the trains since I have been here. This may be God prompting me to seize the moment. God and I had discussed it a bit in Austin before I left.

So after the service, I picked up a few evangelism tracts and decided to go give them out on the train, while using it as an opportunity to verbally share the word too. Like always,  I prayed under my breath, asking the Holy Spirit to speak through me, and give me the power I need. Right after my prayer, the lines from Josh Wilson's song came to mind:"Pushing back the dark." Here it is, below.

It's funny how the song talks about "Whatever you do, just don't look back. Keep on pushing back the dark. Someone needs the light you have. Don't underestimate the God you follow," and it coming to my mind just after I had prayed.  That was perfect. Someone out there needs the light I have. Okay, let me take it out to them.
 
Not long after that I was on the "D" train, sharing the word. It didn't go as I planned---it was short ( about 2 minutes) and incoherent, but I got the word out. After that I simply went around handing out the tracts to the folks on the train. Some took it, others turned it down. I got off on the next stop, and went to another car on the same train and handed out the remaining ones. I took a few minutes to think it over, whether I should do it again, today. I decided against it, opting to take it slowly. All in all, a good move. Thanks to the Spirit for strength.

I know most of us also get stirred like this from time to time, but few of us take action. I don't always take action. But next time a feeling like that hits, take a small step and do something about it. You never know where it might lead. And don't forget the Holy Spirit is available to help you. Just ask him.

Have you been stirred lately? And what did you do about it? Need a little push?

Let me know in the comments.

Choosing Goals

It's that time of the year to sit down. This year, as always, I will make my goals simple, 3 at most. There a few others, but for our purposes here, these 3 are topmost.

  

1. To improve my understanding of God's word. Why this? It's always been a goal of mine. Remember we are not on the popular side, we are on the Lord's side, choosing Him, which is different from the large majority of the choices out there. Everyday we have to choose, and what that means is that there's no default choice, there are options, but we choose different from the status quo. 

 

God's Word is medicine to me---it heals my mind; it's a defence---it defends my mind from all the deception out there; it's my wisdom---out of it, I get the instruction I need to get things done on the earth. So it's first on my list of goals at all times. Nothing happens without it.

2. Work on this blog and all my personal projects: my goal is to expose about 1000 more people to the power they have to choose, to let folks know they are not without a choice against the constant barrage of the world. That there's a choice which pays off: The Word of God.

3. For the project page, to learn and teach about 10 skills through my projects to about 1000 more people this year. I believe skills are not only good but vital. They are vital because nothing can be done on earth without the right skill, and working on your skills constantly not only makes you a better person but improves your chances of having a better life, which we all want.   

What are yours? Sharing gives us all a chance to help each other. No one succeeds alone. Let's hear it in the comments. Thanks.