Jesus can take you:
From fading to favored
From hindered to helped
From stretched to strengthened
From weary to winning
Are you ready?
Check out Matthew 11:28-30
From Weary To Winning
Tag Archives: Soul
Aspirations, Inspirations & Inclinations
As you are planning what you will do this year, hope to achieve, or aspire to, are your plans based on inspiration or inclination?
What do I mean by that? And why is it important?
Consider, for a moment, the definition of these 3 words:
Aspiration:
- “A hope or ambition of achieving something”.
Inspiration:
- “The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.”
- “A sudden brilliant, creative, or timely idea”
- “The drawing in of breath; inhalation”
Inclination:
- “A person’s natural tendency or urge to act or feel in a particular way; a disposition or propensity.”
If we dive headlong into our year, purposing and planning what we will do, or hope to do, based on what we are ‘inclined’ to do, we may be selling ourselves short.
We all have a tendency, or propensity, to act in a particular way, to make choices and decisions based on our nature, our environment, our feelings, and what may be going on in our lives at any one time.
And there’s nothing wrong with that, necessarily, but often it can lead to shortsightedness, selfishness, and sadly, not fulfilling our true purpose in this world.
We ‘tend’ to take the path of least resistance, we ‘tend’ to focus on our own needs and desires, we ‘tend’ to not go for the big goals or the higher vision, but rather follow our own inclinations.
Contrast this to aspiring and planning for the year based on inspiration. When we are ‘inspired’, amazing things happen in our lives and in the lives of others we interact with. We become more creative, we find timely ideas, we are more excited, more engaged, more productive, and most of all, make more of a difference in the world.
But there is a trade-off to moving in this realm. We don’t ‘plough ahead’ and quickly put our own desires into action, setting schedules and making plans to suit ourselves. Instead, we open our hearts to be inspired, which takes a discipline all of its own, and then once inspired, seek to put inspiration into action.
Remember again that inspiration is “the process of being mentally (and I say, spiritually) stimulated to do or feel something”. To be inspired, you’ve got to slow down, and listen to your heart, and for us as Christians, more importantly, to listen to the heart of God. For, as the Bible says, our own heart can be deceitful. Our carnal flesh has tendencies that, unless checked, can lead us astray, or away from our God-given purpose.
But the awesome thing is this: if we will listen to the heart of God, He will speak. And when He does, wow, get ready for some amazing things because, as He has so rightly said, “ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9
And as Ephesians 3:20 states: “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
Our Father is able to blow our minds with what He can do in us, and through us, if we will simply stop, listen, and ask Him to speak to our hearts.
We do this by waiting on God in quiet time with Him, listening and not always talking. Turning off all things that would distract (and oh, how we need to do this in this ‘always-on, always connected’ world). Opening the Word of God, meditating on it, and waiting on Him in prayer. He will respond to a heart that seeks Him, and when He does, it will inspire you!
The word ‘inspire’ means to ‘breath on, or in’, and that’s what God will do, if we will let Him. “Breath on us, O God, and let us hear your voice, so that we may know the way in which we should walk.” That is my prayer for this year. How about you?
If you are ready to soar and go higher on this journey with God, move forward into this year by first listening for the voice of God, and build your aspirations on inspiration, rather than just on your inclinations. Then watch what happens!
I’d love to hear your thoughts, feel free to comment below…
Blessings,
Kim
Joy On The Journey.com
The Lost Art of Quiet Time
The stillness of the morning. The mist is rising and the dawn is breaking…
You stretch a little upon waking, then wander to the window and gaze out in quietness, while down the hall the coffee pot brews your morning coffee. Maybe you sit up in bed for a while to think, or put on your robe and find a cozy chair to focus in quietness and contemplation before the day begins. 
Sound like you? No? Does it sound like any of us anymore?
Or, do you wake, stretch, and then check your smartphone for text messages, switch on your tablet or laptop and begin scrolling social media sites, perhaps turning on the T.V. on at the same time, while somehow reaching for your morning coffee in the haze of so much ‘noise’.
My question is this – if quiet time is becoming a lost art, are we losing something precious in this age of ‘always-on’ technology?
I’m convinced we are. We could say this is the ‘neglect of our time’ (excuse the double-entendre). And it’s causing a multitude of problems. It’s time we stopped the craziness and evaluated exactly what is happening to us.
I’m as technology-savvy as the rest of us, and even teach social media strategies as part of my job, but I also know that our brains need some rest and quiet time. Our body, soul and spirit need it too. And yet, we are giving them very little of it.
I, for one, have decided not allow this trend of ‘always on’ to steal my soul. By not turning on my electronic devices, checking social media or email, etc., upon waking, until after I’ve had time to gather my thoughts, read, pray, think, listen, evaluate and renew my spirit, I can truly have some important quiet time. Then let the business of the day proceed.
There are some things too precious to be side-lined by the ‘always on’ social media phenomena. If we don’t have some quality time daily to renew mind and soul, we will be nothing but robotic tech-captives, empty on the inside, and with little to give others of true value. We can’t run forever on empty, and live a fulfilling life.
Perhaps you, too, have a quiet time each day. If so, that’s awesome. If not, and you long for one, this might be a good time to start and watch how it contributes to your quality of life. For me, early morning works best, but it could be different for you – perhaps mid-morning, noon, or late in the evening, for instance – whatever time you choose, creating a quiet time habit will contribute greatly to your peace of mind in this busy time we live in.
I challenge you to discover, or re-discover, the lost art of quiet time for yourself and watch what it does for your physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being – and for those people that you interact with each day. You, and they, will notice the difference!
Here’s to you, and joy on the journey!
What God Thinks About Me Is Infinitely More Important…
In this hyperconnected world in which so many people spend so much time in social media, do you find yourself wondering what your network thinks of you?
I think, if we’re honest, most of us would say “Hmm…yes…” to that.
The more important question, however, is “What does God think of me?
We know that God loves us. And wow, what an amazing and wonderful truth that is.
But what does God really think of the way that we live in this world? And does it matter?
The scripture says that God knows our hearts. In fact, He knows us better than we know ourselves.
He also told us that if we are to spend eternity with Him, we must return His love, with all of our heart, with all of our soul, with all of our mind, and with all of our strength. So, yes, it matters.
Fortunately, when you fully realize how much He loves you, what He has done for you, and the amazing plan He has for YOUR life, it’s easy to surrender to His love.
It might not be so easy, however, to fit your actions to your intentions. That is why He offers us His Spirit to lead, guide and empower us to do what we know we should do.
So here’s a couple of reflective questions to finish this thought today:
Knowing that He knows your heart, your thoughts, your attitudes, and your actions:
Would you say that your life is spent pursuing the applause of Heaven or the applause of people?
Which means more to you?
And which do you think means most to Him?
I think you know…
P.S. ~ Hat-tip to the person who coined the phrase: “What God thinks about me is infinitely more important than what others think about me.” If you know who they are, feel free to let me know in comments below…
I Said To the Man Who Stood at The Gate of the Year
God Knows – Poem by Minnie Louise Haskins, 1908
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.
This beautiful and famous poem has been read and quoted by many, including HRH The Queen, the Queen Mother, and George VI, for its timeless message. It was also inspiring to the British public during World War II.
My mother often quoted it to me and I loved it. Until now, I had not, however, heard the second part and find it just as tremendous as the first few lines. Here is the rest of this powerful poem:
So heart be still;
What need our little life
Our human life to know,
If God hath comprehension?
In all the dizzy strife
Of things both high and low,
God hideth His intention.
God knows. His will Is best.
The stretch of years
Which wind ahead, so dim
To our imperfect vision,
Are clear to God. Our fears
Are premature; In Him,
All time hath full provision.
Then rest:
Until God moves to lift the veil
From our impatient eyes,
When, as the sweeter features
Of Life’s stern face we hail,
Fair beyond all surmise
God’s thought around His creatures
Our mind shall fill.
As you stand at the gate of the year 2014, I pray God will lead you and direct your steps. If we walk in His will for our lives, there’s no greater joy we can find.
Blessings,
Kim
Thankful for the Little Things
Often it’s the “little things” that make life so beautiful. Don’t miss them in search of bigger things, otherwise you’ll miss so much.
Here’s a song shared by “Under the Radar” http://undertheradar.reframemedia.com/ that I hope you enjoy, as I have today.
We have much to be thankful for this week, and always.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Autumn Serenade
When like a tune, late afternoon
Sunlight plays on roses
And crisp, fall air, becomes a stair
To walk from summer’s poses.
And with the fade, a serenade
To mark the changing season
The sound of flight, as birds alight,
Warmth and south, their reason.
As colors change and leaves arrange
In such extravaganza
You’ll hear and see, a melody,
That creates September’s stanza.
As nights draw in, the gentle rain
May soothe the soul and heart
And harvest gains of fruit-filled lanes,
Play a harmonizing part.
Embrace the autumn serenade
Hear what others miss!
Let sweet notes of fall, fill your soul
Raise your cheek to nature’s kiss!
~ Kim Batson
Sometimes I wax a bit poetic and this first week of autumn seems to be one of those times. My hope is that through these few verses you would take a moment to pause and reflect on the gift of God we are given in the changing seasons. Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!
If you prefer to hear this poem spoken, with visuals attached, check out the video version here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pkJSmRtRoU
Autumn Serenade – Video version
>
A short poem for this first week of autumn – my hope is that through these few verses you would take a moment to pause and reflect on the gift of God we are given in the changing seasons. Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!
~ Kim Batson, Joy on the Journey
On Facebook? Follow us on http://facebook.com/joyonthejourney
On Twitter? Follow us on http://twitter.com/thejoyjourney
Joy That Frees Your Spirit
Remember when you were a child and something made you so happy that you started spinning around with glee? You may have jumped, you may have danced with joy, but you couldn’t keep still! So my question is, what holds us back from demonstrating such a joyful spirit as this as we grow older?
There’s an old Hebrew word for joy that suggests maybe we shouldn’t stop experiencing such joyful emotion like that. It’s the word “giyl” (pron. gheel) or “guwl” (pron. gool) and it means to find so much joy that you spin around with wild emotion! Interesting etymology, perhaps it’s where we get the word: “glee”. It is the word used for “joy” in Habakkuk 3:18 – “I will joy in the God of my salvation.” When was the last time you spun around with pure joy like this? Has it been a while, a long while?
Here’s the kicker: this kind of pure joy, in the context of this scripture, was expressed even when things weren’t going well. I’ll talk more about this in another post, but suffice it to say, you can choose joy, feel joy, and know joy, enough to spin about, regardless of circumstances. Wow. That kind of joy only comes from God.
When you experience joy like this, what others think really doesn’t matter. We know that King David exuberantly danced for joy, and may have even spun about, at the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. So much so, his wife mocked him, but he didn’t care. You see, such joy frees your spirit.
Like the release of a dove to fly, when you really grasp the joy that God gives, you want to spread your wings too. You feel the freedom to show your joy back to Him with pure abandon. The norms of society, of course, have taught us to restrain ourselves from showing too much emotion, but God does not. He doesn’t tell us to button it up. Even if you don’t feel as if you could spin around with joy in public, you might want to in the privacy of your own home. Why not? Break the rules! Experience the full joy of the Lord and the joy of a little child again. It’s not childish, it’s child-like, and there’s a significant difference. Jesus said: “Unless you become like a little child, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Although in this instance He was referring to humility and faith in our Father, we have it on good authority that some child-like attributes are good, even essential for us to adopt.
So the next time you think on the absolute goodness of God and let His joy flood your soul and spirit, let yourself have the freedom to dance before Him, even jump or spin around with glee again! (Okay, be careful not to fall.) Watch what it does for your emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being.
Let your Father know how much you find joy in Him! He would be delighted in your pure and unadulterated happiness and joy. He’s like that.
Joy On The Journey 