Resolutions? Revolutions? How about 28 days of "izes"

Welcome back to the front porch!  It’s a chilly January morning. Had other plans that were interrupted…was on my way to meet a fellow librarian friend in Dallas.  We meet for thrifting, good food and good company.  BUT, the dependable, well over 300,000 miles plus, Honda Accord…decided to stall on me…No, just plain quit, refuse to budge, not go a mile further, stop….hence, call to the Preacher who came to the rescue like a knight in shining armor…in this case in the trusted Dodge Dakota..anyway, AAA had to be called and all of us are back, safe in the warm confides of the Farm.

Disappointing but nevertheless an unexpected pocket of time….hmmm. to spend on the front porch! 

First, looking back at the year…but oh, just a glance or two…for you see, to linger there too long will be too painful, confusing, disturbing and just plain depressing…on the other hand, longing and gazing too long will bring back some mighty good memories…good times, and good thoughts…but there again…2012 is gone…say goodbye, so long, farewell……time to move on and giddy up and go!

In summary…’it was the best of times and the worst of times’.  Perhaps next time we visit I can share some of each of those categories.  But right now I have some other stuff on my mind.

 Now, I post to Facebook…some original stuff and some re-post…and I can hear some of the comments…”who does she think she is?”, well, me, I am Nobody to quote Emily Dickinson’s poem.  I post stuff that matters to me, that speaks to me, that ministers to me, that inspires me and maybe, just maybe will also inspire, speak, minister and matter to others.  Everything that I post, whether my ramblings, musings and such, or scriptures and sayings of encouragement, first comes to me, through me and does a work in me…So, there…

Anyway, in closing out 2012…good bye and good riddance…and welcoming 2013, hello and howdy..I felt some stirrings in my spirit, my soul….now, they are for me first and foremost….and maybe, just maybe someone else may glean a nugget or two for inspiration for the days ahead.

First I do believe a word, go ahead and snicker, snicker….but nevertheless, a word for me and mine for 2013 is: “THINK BIG”.   Whatever I attempt, whatever I ask for, whatever I dream about, whatever I envision….make it BIG…so BIG..it is impossible for me and me alone to accomplish.  It will be evident and to all…’WOW” that’s a God thing.

Next, as I was preparing for today’s little outing…or lack thereof, some nuggets of gold began to just drop into my spirit.  You know those kinda blessings….makes you want to say, “Hey, where did that come from?!”   Anyway, first a couple of items, then a few more….

So, instead of making a list of Resolutions or Revolutions or whateverions….that are made with a lot of lofty aspirations and good intentions…that often are just that..lofty and good…things such as…lose weight, exercise more, read the Bible more, pray more, do good, and on and on….and they are indeed good, noble, worthy goals.  But, too often just so lofty and unattainable…most of us write ‘em, make a feeble stab at trying to do them and then soon even forget what we were even trying to accomplish in the first place…Oh, well, speaking from my own track record..so if you hold on to your Resolutions until the bitter end…kudos to you!

 Anyway, words, words kept coming to me…kinda of unusual words…that at first seemed to have no real rhyme or reason…but then like boom, boom fireworks that explode in the sky and then the light fills the sky and slowly falls…in this case words falling into my spirit.

 So..friend here on the front porch…let’s talk about the words.  They all have something in common!! They all have a particular, specific meaning for me and they all end in the suffix ‘ize’.  After a little leg work…aka finger tapping work…I found out that the suffix ‘ize’ means to be and to treat with.   Pretty interesting…I zeroed in on 28 words…..hence, my 28 resolutions/revolutions so to speak. 

Now, just making a list of Resolutions can be likened to going on a diet, another one, yet another one, still another…and no real improvement…oh, maybe lose a few pounds…only to gain them back and even more.  To accomplish real weight lose-a new mindset, a new approach, a whole new lifestyle and new way of living is needed.  No more buying baskets full of Twinkies, chips and candy bars will do.  But, long-term, on-going weight maintenance means balance, moderation and a new concept of food….basically ”eat to live and not live to eat” mentality.

Hence, my 28 ‘ize’ words are to spur me and anyone else who wants to meet me on the front porch for the next 28 days, to develop a new mindset, a newness of thinking, new determination, new outlook on how to focus on the WORD and let God develop us ‘to be’ and ‘to treat with’. 

 The goal is for this to be lifestyle living…just like healthy eating should be lifestyle living;  goodness and change in our life should be an ongoing lifestyle.  From the moment we get up…all through the day…back home again and into the evening and finally when we ‘lay our little selves down to sleep’.  Lifestyle…Hisstyle, letting Him lead, guide, direct and order our steps…….

Then, we will walk in His newness of life and people will sit up and take notice.  We, Christians are too much like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde or should it be (Hide…just what are we hiding?)…..we are one person for our Christian circle, another one for our work circle, yet another for our family circle, and still another for our friend circle. 

 My biggest disappointment in my life would be if people say “Christian, I didn’t know you were a Christian?!”  Unfortunately, I have met several people I have thought this about…said it to others about….lifestyle living….my Bible plainly says (AND NO, siree I am not judging because GOD judges!) I Corinthians 6:8-10 “No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat and you do these things to your brethren!” (folks…me thinks this is referring to how you treat folk in the family, folk in the church and folk on the job!!”….….verse 9 goes on to state…”Do you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, no adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the Kingdom of God.”…

Pretty comprehensive list…hits all of us somewhere, somehow, someway…..

So, what is it going to take for us to be a part of the Kingdom of God?....Lifestyle living….walking the talk…far too easy to talk the walk…..going to church one day and out in the bars the next…hmmm….singing praises to God with one breath and cursing your neighbor, friends, family, co-workers the next (well, maybe not cursing but being mean, cruel, gossiping, belittling, humiliating) …

Anyway, ‘nuff said about that….28 days, 28 words, 28 opportunities to discuss lifestyle living in action.  Ready, set…..whew…oh my…..where did all our time go??? Anyway, come back tomorrow for the LIFESTYLE WORD OF THE DAY!  Meet me here…on the front porch….coffee will be on….see y’all then!