Choosing Hope and Cultivating an Inspired Life with Author, Mary Clewley
by Mary
by Mary
I close my office door to drown out the voices around me–to find the center of myself–the place where I meet with God. There with closed eyes and clasped hands the darkness of emptying myself meets the Light.
The hard stuff either grows us deeper or makes us search for answers in things that can never satisfy. Activity fills the silence of our souls with noise to mask the uncomfortable feelings of change, pulling…tugging at us. We resist change at all cost, running, ignoring, fighting, turning our backs, making ourselves busy, heard, loud. The humdrum of the keyboard on the computer, our ipads, phones…drown out the quiet whispering of God, “Come to me“, he invites. “When you search for me with all your heart, there you will find me“…
Our yearning, aching for recognition, acknowledgement, affirmation are signs of the soul crying out to believe in something greater. When I try to do something for the applause of others I lose myself. A life lived this way is a life without Hope. Hope reflects belief. Hope quiets itself to listen for God’s voice in the stillness. Hope is in the wind, His voice in the falling leaves, the sprinkling wet that comes down, in a gentle pitter-patter on the roof.
There are seasons during our lives when we feel we have little control over the events that are happening to or around us, rendering us hopeless. I too, have belly-ached through long seasons like this.
Hope says, “I have you covered“…Hope believes that there is a God who can change our circumstance in an instant. During my time of hopelessness, I memorized a psalm of David when he was in the desert:
O god, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. my soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. Psalm 63:1-8
Our souls thirst for God and without Him…we.lose.hope. A culture of busyness has robbed us of silence and it is only through the silence of the soul that we truly commune with the Light of God. In silence we wonder at the beauty of His creation, the beauty of struggle, hardship…moments…simplicity. Just as the snow falls silently, beautifully graceful and blankets the world with a wintery coat, so the wings of God do also. He says, “I have you covered “…
by Mary
A good idea or example is to write three goals in the following categories. Remember to make your goal statements bite size enough that you can achieve them, yet big enough that you have to work toward accomplishing them!
Family Goals:
1.
2.
3.
(Good concrete examples are: Spend 30 minutes per day quality time with each person. Schedule a 7 day vacation. etc.)
Educational Goals:
1.
2.
3.
Work/Career Goals:
1.
2.
3.
Personal Goals:
1.
2.
3.
List the goals above in order of priority by assigning them to either A (high priority) or B (low priority). Do the same for the category B priorities!
I realize that most of us set goals at the beginning of each new year. Some of us just mull them over in our head while others list them out. By June or July, you may have put aside some of those goals or decided that they are not achievable and have given up on the idea of accomplishing them. Before the holiday rush sets in, it is a good time to reflect upon our priorities and look at our goals and perhaps break them down into smaller bites so that we can accomplish them in the new year, even if it requires taking baby steps.
by Mary
Wednesday: I want to experience new things and make new choices. I am no longer willing to live in the past, but looking forward to moving in the direction of my dreams. I cannot change my past, so I will move on. Each day brings new promise and an opportunity to begin again. “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14
Thursday: Today I will re-think the challenge words: all, every, never, always, nobody, everybody, either/or, should, ought, must, can’t. I will pay attention to the way I use these words and how I allow them to define me. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2Corinthians 5:17
Friday: I will give myself permission to dream. I will make a conscious effort to put worry aside, and I will laugh.I will think about my greatest dreams. I will think elevated thoughts…thoughts of making my dreams a reality. “I can do all things through Christ, who is my strength.” Philippians 4:13
Saturday: Today I will take a moment to think about my personal philosophy. I am strong and my experiences, good and bad are valuable. Today I will decide what to toss and what to keep. I will think about the things that mean most to me in my life. I will create a statement about how I choose to live my life, which will guide me in future decisions. “The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” Psalm 28:7
Sunday: Rest renews my mind, body, and spirit. I give myself permission to sleep in just a little later and stay in my pajamas a little longer than usual. I don’t have to “do” today, but rather– just “be”… I will take time to rest today. “God has told his people, “Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here. This is a place of quiet rest.” Isaiah 28:12
by Mary
It is getting cold here in Michigan, so I brought in some of my potted roses to weather the winter with us inside. While trimming the leaves and dead foliage, I was reminded that many of them came from the garbage bin at the local greenhouse. When I saw them in a shopping cart piled on top of one another, I couldn’t bear to see them thrown in the dumpster, as many still had signs of life. I knew that with some TLC they would grow, flourish and bring color into our lives through the cold winter months. I asked the florist if I could buy them for fifty cents each and brought them home. I spent the next day or so lovingly pruning them, changing their containers, adding new soil and then placed them under the fluorescent lights in my kitchen—where they stayed until they came back to life.