Live or Exist

As we approach a new year there’s one thing that comes to mind, as I’m sure it does everyone else’s.. What planner should I buy?!?!  Ha! Ha! Ok, if this is you.. you know who you are. I am that person. I have also been stalking many friends who are asking for recommendations for one on Facebook. Yep. That's me. But seriously.. I was also thinking more along the lines of “New Years Resolutions!”  GASP! Yes. I said that before Christmas.

The truth is, we all know that we don’t need a new year, a Monday or even a new month to start something, make a goal or plan. You can start right now right where you are. BUT.. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that a fresh new year excites me! 

I always reflect on a few questions...
-Where has this year gone? lololol-What have I accomplished?-What didn’t I accomplish? (Ouch)

-What did I want to do more of?
-How much time did I waste...?

In the beginning of 2018 I read a really eye opening book called, "The Dream Giver" by Bruce Wilkinson. If you are in pursuit of anything in life, you've gotta grab this book. It's written as a story and it's fairly short so it's a great quick read! It's a story of a Nobody named Ordinary that lived in the Land of Familiar. Everyday he got up and went to his Usual Job, ate the same dinner he'd eaten the evening before and he would sit in his recliner and watched the box like most nobodies did most nights.

Isn't that interesting.

That used to be Brandon and I. Living a normal life, with normal careers, following a path to nowhere watching hours of pointless TV on the box. I was with some friends a few weeks ago and they brought up Jersey Shore and I was like OMG. I can't even tell you how many seasons of that we watched and even have a Jersey Shore themed party.. Um. Yeah. That was fun but that chapter of our life is dunzo.

Anyways, I'm so thankful that 6 years ago someone interrupted our life. We found something to work for, we saw a life that we could literally plan & design (yes!! that does exist! I didn't know it, but it does! even for an plain ol' ordinary person like me.) We had some dead dreams revived! We also realized that we were just living an average life on the road to nowhere which is sad. Now, we live each day with intention to just move up one notch on our calling -just take a step forward. We live purposeful. In pursuit of more.

Since then, things have drastically changed. We do live a life in pursuit of more. In pursuit of above average and different. We go against the grain- on purpose. We go against the grain because 1.) Our faith and the love we have for our Savior because we understand the full power of Him and what He did for us. We see things differently. We will not conform to the patterns of the world (Romans 12:2), which I'm not sure if you've noticed but it can be challenging at times.  2.) We are entrepreneurs. Neither of us went to college, got in debt from student loans and started working a job. Brandon joined the Army, I got a desk job but that didn't last long. We had an itch for more at 23 & 27 and took ran with an opportunity that fell in our laps!

But do you think that the Lord has chosen you to be on this earth to just exist? Just be stagnant? Just work your normal job, eat the same usual dinner and sit on the couch and watch the box?

-We pray that you would walk in the ways of true righteousness, pleasing God in every good thing you do. Then you'll become FRUIT-BEARING branches, yielding to his life, and maturing in the rich experience of knowing God in his fullness. Colossians 1:10 TPT

-A thief has only one thing in mind-he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, MORE THAN YOU EXPECT-life in it's fullness UNTIL YOU OVERFLOW! John 10:10 TPT

Amen! I'm trying to get some of that. Anyone else??

I know for a fact that living average is not abundance and it is not living life to the fullness, yet that is how God has called us to live.

I encourage you think.. am I existing or am I living? As we approach 2019.. what has 2018 looked like for you and your family? What are you in pursuit of? Is there a burning desire to start something, do something or pursue more? What's holding you back? He has come to give you more than you expect. Be expectant and He will show up.