Reflecting on the Year by Lorilee Guenter

 

In the front of my calendar for 2022 I wrote the word intentional. Now that the year is drawing to a close, it is time to reflect on if and how the word has impacted my year. Looking back at my January blog post, I paired the word with trusting God as I walk into the unknown.

I can see many places where God's timing was evident when I look back over the year He gave me.  I could not have planned all the times where I read a meditation or Scripture passage that was perfect, not only for me but also for conversations that happened the same day. As I was writing this one of those conversations happened within an hour of my reading. By being intentional with my habits I saw over and over how faithful God is in His leading.

God is faithful. I am not. I let distractions pull me away from important tasks. Many times I wandered aimlessly through the day instead of making intentional choices. At the end of those days, I felt neither rested nor productive. I failed to follow through on the tasks in front of me. I know this resulted in missed opportunities both for rest and for connection. I missed the peace that comes when fully trusting God in those moments.

God is good. He continues to work in my life. When I wander, He is still there waiting for my return. He promises that when we seek Him, when we call on His Name, He will be found. He is waiting for me to notice I am trying to do things my way.  The more I spend time with Him, the more I recognize God guiding me back to what He has prepared for me: joy, peace, courage and so much more. Once I admit that He shows me the better way. He is intentional in His work in our lives.

As 2022 draws to a close, and 2023 invites us to consider what is to come, I know one thing will remain unchanged. When I seek God, I will find Him. He always is. He is waiting for His creation to recognize Him. He is waiting for His children to come to Him each day, to enjoy His company and to trust Him no matter what. 

I 'm Only One by Carol Harrison

 

 

I’m Only One

  I watch the news and hear of pain, see the protests, and escalating conflicts. My heart hurts. I turn off the news and long to bury my head under the covers and pretend or hope it will go away, be resolved, or at least not touch any closer to home. But I know this brokenness exists. I realize people are hurting and need others to stand with them and for them. What can I do? I am only one.

I hear about social issues close to home, people in my community who need so much. Poverty, hungry children, those with mental illness, addictions, or disabilities live here. Their needs are often ignored. They are forgotten for no one wants to understand, offer a helping hand, a listening ear. The marginalized don't seem to have a voice. This breaks my heart. What can I do? I am only one.

Abuse happens even in homes we least likely expect it to. Pornography permeates places we never think it might. Women disappear. Human trafficking doesn’t just happen somewhere else. Fear and shame hover near. Anger and outrage erupts as abuse, disappearances, or extreme anguish and pain surface for others to see. Then my heart aches. What can I do? I am only one.

Racism rears its ugly head over and over; not just in other places but close to home. People need to be seen for who they are – wonderfully made by God, even though many don’t acknowledge that. The need for equality, fairness, and acceptance surround me. My heart cries. What can I do? I am only one.

Countless numbers need to hear the good news of the gospel; the news that God loves them and Jesus took their place on the cross. Some are waiting to hear for the first time. Some are waiting to see this good news shared through actions and attitudes, not words only. They’ve been hurt by too many in the name of Christianity, by those who do not live with the attitudes and actions God desires. Do I share my faith in tangible ways? Do I share it through my words, my actions, my attitudes? My heart sorrows for when I don’t. What can I do?

Too often I allow defeat to render me ineffective for I am only one against so many problems, trials, and injustices. Sometimes I still long to hide away and hope someone else sounds the alarm, walks alongside to help, or rallies others to make a difference. But that is not what God commands in Scripture. I am not only one. I am part of the body of Christ. I am part of humanity.

What can I do? There are many things for each one of us, including me, to do. First I must remain faithful to God's Word. Then I must allow God to help me live His truth everyday even when I don’t understand how to help others in this broken world around me.

Matthew 6: 14-16 says, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to every one in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

What can I do? I am only one. One little light in a dark and hurting world. Matthew 10: 42 says “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.” A cup of water is one little thing. Actively listening to someone’s story and accepting them for who they are and where they are is one little thing. Giving funds or provisions to someone who desperately needs them is one little thing. I can do one small thing at a time, which will touch the life of one person, who in turn can touch someone else. A chain of small things can change the world.

My heart hurts for all the pain and suffering. It breaks for all those misunderstood, unloved, or abused. But what has God placed in my heart to write about, talk about, and take action on when opportunity knocks? Several things pull harder on my heart strings or at least more often. One is inclusion for those with disabilities. What does it really mean to include those who move and learn differently? I am only one but I can speak to this and write about it for I have lived it for years as an advocate for my daughter. What I write about is born from my desire to educate others and encourage them to know the person, see the ability within the disability, and how we all are created by God to be our unique selves.

There are times my heart is heavy, my emotions tear-filled, and darkness threatens to overtake me. Depression has been an issue in my life. As God brought people to walk alongside, counsel, and encourage me, so now my heart pulls me to help and encourage others.

Maybe I hang back because I don’t like conflict. Most hot button issues fan conflict, increase the pain, and make me want to hide instead of being God's light and help to others. My heart still hurts and my conscience pricks when I abdicate doing and not just reading God's commands in the Bible. What can I do? I am only one.

I can live life, with God’s help, as described in Colossians 3: 12–15. It also reminds me I am not alone but part of a group, the body of believers.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you many have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  

What can I do? I am only one, but I serve the God for whom nothing is impossible. I will be faithful to what he asks me to speak or write. I will walk with someone who is hurting instead of hiding under the covers. I am only one but God can use me in ways I can’t imagine, to make a difference for someone else.  Yes, I am only one but Jesus is THE ONLY ONE.

 

 

 Carol Harrison shares her stories of hope and God's faithfulness from her home in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Her desire is to walk humbly through whatever doors God opens to encourage others in their own journey's and tell them the stories of Jesus.

Courage to be Faithful by Carol Harrison

 Many people choose a word for themselves each year or trust God to provide one for them. I am not one of those people. Yet as 2019 began, God impressed the words faithful and courage into my mind and heart. I knew I needed to claim them for my life in a new way this year but had no idea and still do not, where God would lead with this. When I saw this month's blog theme, Faith to Chart a New Territory" and the verse Joshua 1; 6, 9 - "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land.  . .  Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." I felt the affirmation of these words in a renewed way.

I need to be faithful to do what God calls me to do. Courage to follow where God leads comes not from knowing the task or what lies ahead but from knowing He is always with me and never changes. God gave Joshua his task - lead the people into the land they will inherit. Joshua faced a huge job with many challenges. Yet God told him not once but multiple times be strong and courageous rather than being afraid, terrified or discouraged.

I believe God has called me to the task of being a storyteller, whether in writing or orally. He has added a desire to mentor, coach and help people find their voice, tell their stories and improve their communication skills. I do not know what it all looks like but it has been unfolding for almost a dozen years. Some days there seem to be more questions than answers. God's unchanging presence is the one constant throughout the years.

My journey as a speaker began in 2008 when a group of ladies asked me to be their retreat speaker. I taught a ladies Bible study at church at that time but to venture beyond this comfort zone caused much fear and trepidation. I knew God wanted me to be faithful and courageous and go where He led even though I could not understand why me. I obeyed and learned many lessons as I prepared. God provided affirmations to let me know I had listened correctly to His plans.

I longed to learn more about being a Christian woman speaker. I followed others who were further along the journey and gleaned helpful information. I sat in on workshops, took on line courses and read books to soak up as much knowledge as possible as I prepared for whatever adventure God had planned in the line of speaking.

One common thread in what I read and listened to included finding out your niche market. I should answer questions like, Who was my audience? What was the topic I was an expert on? How should I let others know I was available to speak? The negative, internal voice shouted, "You aren't an expert in anything!" Then it added thoughts like, "Who do you think you are to say you are a speaker? You don't know anything about target audiences or marketing yourself."

I reread the Bible story of Moses at the burning bush in Exodus chapter 3. I could identify with Moses when he argued with God about not being able to speak eloquently and questioning whether the Hebrew people would believe that God sent Moses to lead them out of Egypt. Yet God never asked Moses to do anything on his own strength but rather be obedient and trust God for everything he needed to accomplish the job God called him to do. I needed to remember that and be faithful, trusting God for courage. 

I had always loved teaching children but now God had opened a door with ladies ministry at church and speaking at a ladies retreat. Why the change? I did not know. More speaking engagements have dotted the years between then and now. They have included all ages from children and teens to adults. I have spoken in churches, camps and schools. None of the advice about niche market or ages seemed to apply.

I questioned whether I heard God's direction clearly. God whispered into my heart, "Don't look at the venue or the age. When I open a door just walk through it. I will give you the words to say."

It flew in the face of the advice of those who had traveled further on the journey of being a speaker and yet I must continue to trust God as the ultimate authority.

My writing journey began ten years ago. For years I had stuffed my love of writing so deep I had

convinced myself it never existed even when part of me longed to write more than occasional journal entries. My husband encouraged me to write a book - the story of our youngest daughter who had a stroke at birth. Everything she can do is medically impossible. I resisted. I tried.  I deleted the words and felt like I failed. Yet my family urged me to continue, to trust God to help the story be told for His glory.

With the help of some wonderful Christian writers who offered help, encouragement and critique I finished the book. God has provided affirmations through comments of people who read the story and told me what it meant to them, how God had spoken to them and how it has been shared in more places than I can imagine.

I have continued to write, although for years I called myself a reluctant writer. My grandson told me that sounded negative and I should quit saying it. He encouraged me to branch out into writing fiction and not just non-fiction. I said no but he persisted. My husband, a niece and other family members joined the conspiracy to push me out of my comfort zone and into uncharted territory. A granddaughter told me to learn to write poetry and asked me to go with her to poetry workshops at our local library. I enjoyed the time I spent with her but poetry pushed me even further out of the writing comfort zone.

God has worked in my heart so I quit calling myself a reluctant writer. Some non fiction stories, one short piece of fiction and two poems are now part of my publishing credits. This has helped affirm that I have listened to God's direction even if it is hard and not what I expected.

There are times I feel an urgency to write and help others share their stories too. But there are times the entire process overwhelms me too. However, I know God is faithful. He has a plan even when I do not understand what that might be. He only asks that I am faithful to do what he asks me to do and not be discouraged or fearful. He supplies the words and the courage.

The speaking, writing, coaching others and teaching workshops to such a variety of ages flies in the face of conventional teaching by other speakers and even writers. I wonder how it should all fit

together and where God is leading with these various activities. How do they fit together? What is the plan? How do I let others know that I am available for workshops, speaking, coaching?

The questions still pop into my mind. They still make me wonder and wish for a map of the road ahead. But I know that everything fits under the umbrella of storytelling. God asks that I tell the stories to the next generation of His faithfulness and His love. I know God opens doors and when He does I pray I will be faithful to walk through it and trust God to supply the courage I need for the adventure of a life of telling stories in whatever form they take.

This week, month and year I pray I will be faithful and obey whatever God asks me to do as I remember Joshua 1:9  applies to me to.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Carol Harrison, B.Ed. from Saskatoon, has published one book, Amee’s Story, and has short stories in over a dozen anthologies. She has a passion for sharing stories from real-life experiences and God’s Word to help others find a glimmer of hope and a glimpse of joy.

Writing Incentives - Carol Harrison

I looked at the topic for January and thought about what my incentives are to keep my writing on track for this new year. I thought of my goals, my reflections and the challenges I might face and knew I wanted to put things in place to allow growth to happen. I know I need accountability partners, deadlines and most importantly I need Scripture to offset the negative thoughts that threaten to sidetrack the writing. 

I do not usually choose a word to be my focus for the new year. Yet as I reflected on the sermon from the last Sunday at church in 2018 during a morning devotional time, one word continued to come to my mind - faithful. It reappeared at various times during the next few days and I know it is something I long for - to be found faithful. I need to be faithful in my Christian life, taking time getting to know God better and listening for His voice which will help me overcome the negative, internal chattering that too often grows so loud it drowns out what I need to focus on. I need to be faithful in using the gifts and abilities that God has given me and that includes working on the stories which need to be put to paper and shared. 

Reflecting on what had happened in the past year, as is my custom at the end of each year, I looked at memories, completed projects and things still waiting to be worked on or completed. Then I changed from looking back to looking ahead to a new year, new calendars, new possibilities and new memory making moments. A blank slate waited for me.

I thought about my motivation to keep writing, to  keep telling the stories and speaking. Why should I keep on going when fear holds me back from completing some of the projects or the internal, negative monkey voice changes from background chatter to shouting negatives? The word faithful comes to mind. I long to be obedient to God's plan and go where he sends me, trusting that he will supply all I need like He promises in Scripture. 

Psalms 78: 1-6 (NIV) have been verses that have been part of my incentive to continue to tell and write stories.
 
"O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old - what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us, We will not hide them from their children, we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done. 

He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them even the children yet to be born and they in turn would tell their children."

My intentions for 2019 include completing several bigger writing projects, continue to write short pieces and submit some of them to various publications, blog posts or simply send to family. I want to capture the stores flitting about in my mind, set them to print and share them with others. 

To accomplish this list of writing goals I need to quit procrastinating the editing, the writing and the process of sharing them with others. I find to do lists helpful and deadlines as well. Therefore I plan to have some self-imposed deadlines added to the to do list in order to focus my work habits in a better fashion – make the goals smarter in the time management area. 

I had a brainstorming session with another author, Kim Steadman, who also likes lists and deadlines. She gave me some helpful tips to prioritize my works in progress in light of any and all obligations I have such as writing a weekly blog article, my Puzzle Pieces of Life programs for Hope Stream Radio and this monthly blog post for Inscribe. Writing down the obligations, the works in progress and ideas still waiting to be written gives me a great way to visualize what I need to have done by a specific time and what I can realistically add in to my schedule.

Yes I need to not only schedule writing and editing time but then take those appointments seriously and actually write and edit works in progress. Deadlines do help me focus and therefore I can add in some self imposed ones to help keep me on track or give me a kick in the seat of the pants to keep working on telling the stories, preserving the family memories and helping others along the way.

The incentive to move forward with my writing intentions for this coming year is to be faithful in telling the stories to the next generations. Life can change in a moment and giving myself permission to be flexible is important as well. Listening to the advice of other writers, reading about their journey, incentives and helpful hints adds to the positive moments in my writing life. I am not alone on this journey. Connecting with other writers also helps build in some accountability as does having a prayer team covering the writing and asking the question, "How is your writing coming?"

When the negative voices grow loud and fear threatens to stop all headway on works in progress I need to trust God. The verse that I have for this year is Isaiah 41:10  (NIV)

"So do not fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

 I believe it is important to be faithful and use my gifts and abilities to enrich the lives of others, encourage those who find themselves in one of life’s tough spots as well as help people find their voice and work towards their fullest potential through mentoring. 

As a speaker, published author and storyteller, Carol Harrison is passionate about mentoring people of all ages and abilities to help them find their voice and reach their fullest potential. She shares from her heart, telling stories from real life experiences and God’s Word to encourage people and help them find a glimmer of hope no matter what the circumstances. She believes we need to continuously grow in our walk with God and lives out her storytelling passion by speaking at women’s events and retreats, Bible Camps as well as school assemblies and church events. Carol is a wife, mother of four adult children and grandmother to twelve. She makes her home is Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.