Just wanted to share...

I mentioned to small group that I began reading the book of Ezra and I wanted to share with you from today’s chapter. In chapter 4, the enemies of Judah ask the Jews if they can help rebuild the temple & the Jews deny their request. The enemies then HIRE people to deliberately frustrate the Jews plans & discourage them. The enemies even write a letter to the King informing him if the Jews are successful in rebuilding that the King’s revenues will decrease. The letter also stated that if the King searched the archives he would see the Jews have a history of rebellion. So the King orders the rebuilding to cease and the Jews are “compelled by force to stop”.

The enemies paid people to mess up the Jews lives. That seems a little extreme, doesn’t it? But we all know it’s real. How often are people paid off to keep people out of power in government? How often are people paid to keep people out certain zoning areas? How often have we made people mad by not allowing them into our plans or our lives and they have deliberately gathered people on “their side” to discourage us and frustrate our plans? Have you ever felt like you were on the right track only to have someone write a letter to your boss telling them to look closer at your faults? How often are we doing something good for God and then all hell breaks loose? How often are plans that we feel are from God halted by actions (or force) from others?

This is why reading the bible is exciting to me. It shows me that I am not facing anything new. Many have faced and overcame the challenges I experience and I can look to see what they do to overcome. I can evaluate their actions by mine and adjust if so be.  (Not that I will always do as they did to overcome, but you know what I mean).

Just wanted to share this with you all.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs...Can't get away from it!

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t think nursing is my primary foundation. I know the primary foundation is Christ, not JUST nursing. But Christ is the foundation and the core. He is at level of our being. I’m saying that He put other foundations in our life to shape and lead us during this stay on Earth.

For those who have ever taken a psychology class you will be very familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The pyramid represents Maslow’s Theory of Human Motivation and suggests that lower needs must be met before moving to the next level. Self-actualization is the process of developing as a person to achieve individual potential. And for me, my potential is found in nursing. It’s different for everyone. Jamie’s is in trucking; Courtney’s could be in singing. For some it’s being a teacher, pastor, police officer, salesman, for some it’s being the best parent they can be, for other’s it’s doing the best with the choices they have made in life.

Basically, I know that no level of achievement in this Hierarchy of Needs is met without God as the center. But I feel He gives us other foundations to build upon to reach the different levels.

The Roads of My Journey

(I was just looking back over some of my earlier journal entries and liked this one. Thought I’d share it. From Jan 12,2010)

Heb 11:10 HE WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CITY WITH FOUNDATIONS, WHOS ARCHITECT AND BUILDER IS GOD.      Make decisions not with present security and future retirement in mind but with forever in full view.

I’ve given my life to God. I didn’t completely surrender it until I let go of everything and went to nursing school. It took me until I was 35 to realize holding on tight to the “control” wheel in my life was leading me no where quickly. The past five years of allowing God to have full control were some of the hardest yet best years of my life. How much greater will the remaining years be knowing who’s in the driver seat!

My “city with foundations” that God has given me is nursing. I feel, He built and designed  me with nursing in mind. He called me to nursing when I was 17 volunteering in a special education classe. I can remember it distinctively. I was looking out the window and I felt like it was just whispered in my ear, "You will be a nurse!" I must admit, I didn't believe it. (There are still days, I don't believe it).  I was an average student that struggled with test taking. I don’t know where he’s leading me through this "city" of nursing, but I can say I have enjoyed the ride.  Although the roads leading to this city have not been the smoothest roads to travel.

I have tried to keep my focus no matter what road I am on. When I am on the gravel roads and the pot holes seem to stretch across each side, I readjust, slow down and move intentionally as I ease around them and take care to avoid blowing a tire.  When I am headed up the mountain, I dig in, shift to a lower gear and remain diligent in reaching the top. When I am on the highway cruising along, I feel exhilarated and alive and yet I am not always focused on what the journey has to offer. There are the times I am on the expressway, and I zoom in and out of traffic as if I’m in a race, yet I don’t know what I’m trying to win,  who I am trying to impress or what I have to prove.

So I ask you Lord,  Help me learn to focus on the foundation you have planned and built for me and to learn the lessons I need to learn no matter what “road” I’m on in this journey.