Running To Be A Blessing. And To Win.

So yesterday Tom and I went to a huge church rummage sale, one held outside, and all their books cost just .25 cents each. Gracious! The money went to missions, and well, I bought four books, but I gave the woman at the booth $2 instead because, as I told her, $1 just felt like too little. 

She and the young man beside her thanked me in a surprised way and really, I should have paid even more. But I'm glad I gave at least the extra dollar, for there's a time to rejoice because you got a killer deal and a time when your killer deal makes you feel like you're stealing. Er hem.

May we always recognize the difference.

Speaking of books, one of my goals eons ago was to own an customized personal library, books I'd also hoped Naomi would treasure, but she read only a few, mostly for school book reports or for the $1 I paid her one summer for each book she read (I know, I know. But I was desperate. heh.). 

Yet she still insists that, in the 1st grade, she burned-out on reading when, during a class contest, she read 300 books, most aloud to me, since the kids were required to read them aloud to someone, anyone.

Alas.

Goals! I think many people flounder because they have no goals. Even the Bible seems to agree:

"Where there is no vision, the people perish..."  ... Proverbs 29:18

I've considered goals lately, especially with the whole Nik Wallenda walking-over-Niagara-Falls-because-he's-dreamed-of-doing-that-for-27-years thing and I've felt doubly thankful for the goals God has helped me accomplish:

Having a long, loving marriage.
Raising a wonderful, kind daughter.
The aforementioned personal library.
Becoming a writer.
Writing a 'book' (this blog).
Connecting with readers of 'my book.'
Owning a farm.
Visiting a Laura Ingalls Wilder site (Malone, NY)
Becoming an encourager.
Owning a home outright.
Taking a train trip across the United States.
Becoming a Coupon Queen. Of sorts. :)
Owning many favorite films/tv series on dvd.
And hundreds of small, daily/monthly/yearly goals, as well.


But my favorite goal? I remember praying around 1989 that I would have a close, real-as-can-be friendship with Jesus and oh! In 1994 that began to happen and nothing has looked or felt the same ever since. For me, it's made all the difference.

But what happens without God-given goals? We wander. We do a little this, a little that, step here, step over there, become proficient at nothing and inspire and touch and bless only a few people. 

And who wants that?

Oh, to discover the gifts God placed inside us! When we stand before Him we'll be grateful we used those gifts, that we perfected and completed them and ran our race well. To win.

Just some things to think about on this Father's Day. Have a happy one!


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Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  ... 1 Corinthians 9:24

" The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’  His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master."  ... Matthew 25:20,21

Satan's goal is to keep us from completing ours. He tries to keep us distracted with things which do not matter so that we pay no heed to the things which do.


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These are the books I bought at the rummage sale: Buggies, Blizzards and Babies by Cora Frear Hawkins (I owned this one decades ago), Best Wishes by Harold E. Kohn, None to Give Away by Elsie Doig Townsend and Country Garden Planner by Country Home

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