Regain Your Sense of Wonder

Ava Pennington is known for her wisdom in the Word. In this Attitude UPGRADE, she encourages readers to upgrade their lives by regaining their godly sense of wonder.

"G. K. Chesterton wrote, 'We are perishing for want of wonder, not for want of wonders.'

"I can relate," Ava says.

One year I (Dawn) chose the word "wonder" as my word of the year. It was one of the most wonder-full years of my life—life changing! I'm so glad Ava chose to write about this. Our attitudes and perspectives can be so much more to the glory of God.

Ava continues . . .

I often lose my sense of wonder these days, taking for granted things as imposing as a jet plane or as fragile as a butterfly. I ignore a sunset or overlook a rainbow as I rush to the next task on my to-do list.

Many of us seek miracles for our problems, yet miss the miracles in each day.

Consider the human body in all its wonder: 60,000,000,000,000 (sixty trillion) cells, unique fingerprints, and 600 muscles.

Or the beauty of a rainbow resulting from the interaction of light rays and water droplets.

The greatest wonder of all?

Our holy God provided a way to restore sinful humanity to Him. Because of Jesus, we’re able to call the awesome Creator God, Father.

I’m determined to delight in the large and small wonders inhabiting my days.

Have you lost your sense of wonder at joyful intimacy with the living God or the marvels of His creation?

If so, join me in regaining your sense of wonder.

1. Cultivate faith in our limitless God.

The pressures of daily life can cause our circumstances to overwhelm us. But our finite abilities don’t compare to God’s infinite wisdom and power.

He’s the One who set the stars in space. Don’t let the children’s poem, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” fool you—“little star”?

Consider our star, the sun. Its mass of hot plasma totals more than 99 percent of our solar system. Additionally, the sun converts 4,000,000 tons of matter into energy every second. And our limitless God created it along with countless other stars in the universe!

Hebrews 11:1 (ESV) reminds us, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

When circumstances overwhelm our finite minds, faith offers assurance we can trust God’s infinite faithfulness.

2. View the world with childlike humility and wonder.

The first time I flew, I knew the scientific explanations for cloud formation. But you’d never have known it by my initial reaction. Sitting in a window seat, I repeatedly squealed, “Look at the clouds!”

You’d have thought I was nine years old. Uh…no. More like twenty.

Decades later, despite the hassles, I intentionally remind myself of the sheer wonder of flying—

• of sitting safely while hurtling through the sky at 500 miles an hour;
• of soaring above the clouds while reveling in the Creator who made them.

Even more important than viewing our world with childlike wonder, God calls us to trust Him with childlike faith.

When the disciples asked Jesus to identify the greatest in heaven’s kingdom, He pointed to the humility of a child (Matthew 18:3).

It takes humility to approach the world in wonder.

 And it takes humility to acknowledge our helplessness and approach God for the salvation He offers.

3. Be present and attentive in the moment.

I have a tendency to multitask, even when I’m with other people. I’m often consumed with to-do lists. Can you relate?

Today gets lost in the shuffle between tomorrow’s worries and yesterday’s regrets.

Inattentiveness causes missed opportunities for wonder right in front of me.

Replacing New Year’s resolutions, I now identify “one word” for my focus each year. This year, my word is attentive.

I want to be intentionally present in the moment—

• to pay attention as God speaks to me through His Word and the Holy Spirit’s prompts;
• to be more attentive to the people He places in my path.

Proverbs 12:15, and 19:20 are just two of the verses reminding us to listen to—and apply—wisdom. Wisdom is found in the Bible, the Holy Spirit’s whispers and the counsel of mature Christians. My attentiveness has already led to increased wonder!

4. Default to joy.

As we get older, it becomes easier to focus on negative aspects of life.

Here’s an easy one: I dislike driving in the rain. Yet, although low visibility requires additional concentration, I can still choose to default to joy at the refreshment it brings.

Consider the recent Australian bushfires that burned more than 12,000,000 acres. Desperate prayers addressed heaven for the inconvenient rain I complain about!

The Bible is replete with verses reminding us to be joyful.

• We’re told to rejoice in hope (Romans 12:12a)
• We're to be joyful when we suffer trials (James 1:2).
• The apostle Paul included joy as part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).
• We’re to always rejoice in the Lord (Philippians 4:4).

Defaulting to joy changes our perspective, preparing us for the time when we’ll have fullness of joy in God’s presence (Psalm 16:11).

Children naturally exude a sense of wonder. Since you and I are God’s children, we should do the same.

He’s worthy of our wonder and childlike faith, so bask in the wonder of God’s faithfulness and love today!

How will you apply the above steps to regain your sense of wonder?

Ava Pennington is a writer, Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) teacher, and speaker. She is the author of the adult devotional, Daily Reflections on the Names of God, and has co-authored two children’s picture books. Ava has written numerous articles for magazines such as Today’s Christian Woman and Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse, and contributed to more than 30 anthologies. Visit her at www.AvaWrites.com.

Prayer Changes Me

Shonda Whitworth has faced some tough times in her life, but through it all, she discovered how the Lord uses circumstances not only to teach us, but to change us. In this Trials UPGRADE, she points us to the One who uses even our prayers to make us more like Jesus.

“Prayer changes things,” Shonda says, “and the more I pray, the more I change. Undesirable circumstances motivate me to pray. But as I spend time in prayer about my situations, the Lord changes me as I walk through the hardship.”

I (Dawn) discovered this powerful truth last year through some tough circumstances of my own. Shonda shares how God refines our character through these tough-times prayers.

Shonda continues . . .

When I understood the power of praying the Scriptures, I wrote verses on index cards. On one side I wrote the passage, and on the other side, the prayer. I carried these cards with me everywhere.

By writing out the Scriptures and praying them out loud, my knowledge of the Word improved, my relationship with Lord deepened, and my faith increased.

After devouring books on prayer and attending prayer conferences, I taught classes on how to pray effectively.

Then one night my faith was tested when the call came that my older son had been arrested and charged with serious crimes. With my heart ripped apart, my first prayer after receiving the shocking news came from a familiar passage:

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 KJV).

Circumstances drove me to my knees in prayer. Through the process of my son being arrested, convicted and sentenced to prison, I sought the Lord in prayer more earnestly than ever before.

While searching the Bible for Scriptures to pray, I noticed it is filled with judicial themes.

I began to make my appeals to the courtroom of heaven.

When we think of trials, we think of justice with punitive results. Some judges are known to “throw the book” at the guilty.

But God, the Judge of all, is not like that.

Our Righteous Judge desires to give us—the guilty—mercy.

Hebrews 4:16 says, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (NLT).

We can petition the courtroom of heaven anytime, from anywhere. Here’s how:

1. We Need an Advocate.

An advocate is an attorney. In the courtroom of heaven, only one Advocate meets the qualifications—Jesus.

First John 2:1 says,

“My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous” (NLT).

Jesus, our Advocate, paid our penalties by the shedding of His blood. By accepting Jesus’ representation, our record of wrongs is expunged in the courtroom of heaven.

Without Jesus’ representation, we will be judged according to the sins that the prosecutor presents to the Righteous Judge.

2. Silence the Accuser

Every courtroom has a prosecutor, and in the courtroom of heaven he is our accuser—Satan. He opposes our petitions before God by presenting our unconfessed sins to the Righteous Judge.

Matthew 5:25 says,

“When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown in prison.”

When the accuser brings an accusation against us in the courtroom of heaven, we must confess our sins to receive mercy. This places them under the blood of Jesus, erasing them from the record books.  

3. Enter Your Petitions

A petition is a request presented to the court—also known as prayers.

When we petition the courtroom of heaven, we ask for God’s will to be done. God’s Word is His will. When we petition with God’s Word, we have confidence that God will answer us.

“Now this is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15). 

To file petitions, find Scriptures based on your need and pray it with assurance. Remember, trust God with how and when the answer comes. 

In order to receive mercy when making appeals to the courtroom of heaven regarding our circumstances:

Jesus must be our Advocate,

We must repent to silence the accuser and

Wwe must petition God’s will.

The Lord uses our prayers in the courtroom of heaven to refine our character.

My perception of my son’s incarceration has shifted. Petitioning the throne room of God through these trying times showed me that prayer changes me.

How might you see God changing you in YOUR touchest circumstances as you come before His throne in prayer?

Shonda Whitworth writes, teaches, and speaks at conferences and retreats to share the hope of healing and restoration we have in Jesus. She is the author of Appeal to the Courtroom of Heaven: Petitions for Prisoners and Prison Families. After her son landed in state prison, she realized the hardships families of prisoners encounter. She and her husband, Eldon, founded Fortress of Hope Ministries, a nonprofit organization that offers hope to families affected by incarceration. Shonda transparently shares her testimony of living with a son in prison at www.shondawhitworth.com/ and fortressofhopeministries.com/

Plan for Lasting Love

Pam Farrel is a relationship specialist, and she knows the power of making wise and godly choices that enhance relationships. In this Marriage UPGRADE, she says we need a plan if we want love in our  marriage relationship to last.

"A lasting love isn’t a happenstance," Pam says, "rather couples who gain long lasting love all made ONE vital decision: they DECIDED they wanted a long-lasting love! Love is a choice!"

I (Dawn) believe in making powerful choices! And a good place to start, right after our choice to receive  Jesus as our Savior, is in our closest human relationship.

Pam continues . . .

We recently celebrated our 40^th anniversary. As a gift, our grown sons and daughter in laws, along with our five grandchildren, all contributed to a book they wrote, 40 Reasons We Value Your Lasting Love.

Here are a few of our favorites parts from that book—along with four vital choices we've made in our marriage.

You too can gain a lasting lifetime love! Here is how.

1. Sit Face 2 Face

"We love because He (God) first loved us" (1 John 4:19).

This verse was inscribed on our wedding gifts to each other. We knew going in, we would only succeed at long lasting love only if God was kept front and center as the glue to hold us together.

One of the less glamourous but most vital choices we made early in our marriage was to create a Marriage & Family Compass.

This includes:

(1) Marriage/Family Mission Statement

We penned ours about two years into our marriage, inspired by a marriage conference for seminary students lead by Dr. Norman T. Wright.

(2) Marriage/ Family Motto

We wanted a short phrase like you’d see on a coffee mug or T-shirt. Ours is, “Those who honor God, God honors”—based on 1 Samuel 2:30.

(3) Marriage/Family Moniker

This is a family crest. Ours has three L’s that stand for Leaner, Leader, who Loves God (what we prayed our children would grow into); plus two hearts that stand for Farrels keep their promises, especially in marriage; and a cross with a star symbolizing that when you have a vibrant relationship with God, He ignites the God-given passion inside and you “let your light shine” for Him.

We also made a commitment to have a weekly “Monday Morning Marriage Meeting” where we pray, then discuss things like money/finances, calendar items, work and family; and we delegate tasks, make decisions together, etc. In other words, we tackle the important "biz issues" of a marriage. 

The Marriage Meet Up and the Family Compass were vital, because we both came from very dysfunctional, chaotic homes. We needed to be proactive and positive.

We saw the fruit of this in the book our family gave us on our 40th anniversary.

• "You love each other—quirks and all"
• "You model healthy communication, aka conflict resolution and forgiveness."
• "Tenacity! We will make it through anything TOGETHER!"
  

2. Walk Hand 2 Hand

"I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well" (3 John 1:2).

An obvious tip on gaining a long-lasting love is: You must live longer and stronger by treating your body (and your mate’s body) as “a temple of the Holy Spirit”  (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Because we were both athletes when we met at age 19, and married at age 20, keeping active is a part of our love life.

We have always enjoyed a daily prayer walk, hand in hand.

We have supported each other’s exercise pursuits, but the real key is finding some activities you BOTH enjoy doing together.

Some of our favorites are kayaking, paddle boarding, jet skiing, biking, swimming and dancing under the stars—or while waiting for an elevator!

• "You two are not afraid to take risks, as long as you are doing it together."
• "You love going on adventures together—you see life as an adventure."
• "You always take time for date nights."

3. Hug Heart 2 Heart  

"I found the one my heart loves. I held him and would not let him go…" (Song of Songs 3:4).

We have cultivated romance. We kiss each other EVERY TIME we say grace.

We put weekly date nights, a monthly day away, and twice-a-year overnight getaways on our calendar FIRST! We even schedule “Red Hot Monogamy!” 

• "You are each other’s biggest fans."
• "As a kid growing up, you modeled for us vulnerability, forgiveness, grace, pure love, joy and commitment."
• "You both love waffles and spaghetti."

4. Bow Knee 2 Knee

"You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows" (Job 22:27).

Prayer was a part of our relationship from the first moment Bill first asked me out on our first date!

We pray for one another and with one another.

We pray, hug and kiss, when we greet and when we depart from each other.

We pray over meals, over decisions, over family and friends, and over our failures and frailties. We wrap up in each other’s arms each night and pray and thank God for each other and one more day together.

• "You guys have defied the odds and have a HEALTHY marriage."
• "You have completely changed the legacy of our family."
• "You model a chord of three strands is not easily broken."

Do you have hopes and dreams for your marriage?

I remember a drive together as a newly-engaged couple when one of us said, “We are years away from starting a family, but what will we want our kids to say about us on our 25th or 50th wedding anniversary?”

We made a verbal list, then we prayed and asked God to fulfill those hearts desires.

And He is!  

What new habits or activities do you want to add into your marriage or your family to secure the future God longs to give you?

Pam Farrel is a cheerleader for women everywhere! Bill and Pam Farrel are international speakers, relationship specialists, and authors of more than 50 books including the bestselling: Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti; 10 Best Decisions a Couple Can Make (which explains how couples can create their own Family Compass: Mission, Motto, Moniker); Red Hot Monogamy (with more than 200 romance ideas). Their newest book is Marriage Meet Ups: A Planner for Couples Who Want a Productive, Passionate and Purposeful Life (to be released the end of January 2020). Discover more about Pam or the Farrels' ministry at  www.Love-Wise.com

We Are Blessed to 'Decrease' and 'Increase'

As I (Dawn) thought back over the incredible blessings of 2019—blessings and gifts that God has showered into my life in spite of my Multiple Myeloma diagnosis last January—one word keeps coming to mind: "Increase."

In this Spiritual Growth UPGRADE, I want to focus on God's great gift to us, and how we might respond to that gift in the year to come. Then I want us to consider how the concept of "decrease / increase" might be a life changer for us.

I. God Gave an Incredible Blessing

Ephesians 1:3 says, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."

Everything changed with the pronouncement of that blessing—"in Christ."

The scripture that repeatedly came to mind this past Christmas was 1 John 4:14—"The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world."

What amazing love. What tender mercies. What a blessing!

• We were "dead" and completely alienated from Him. (Ephesians 2:1-2).
• We deserved only wrath and eternal judgment. (Ephesians 2:3).
  
• Yet we found ourselves the recipients of astounding love. (Ephesians 1:4-5; 2:4-10)
  

How blessed we are! Jesus came from Heaven (Philippians 2:7-8a) and made a way—the only way (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Philippians 2:8b)—for us to live with Him, our exalted King, in heaven (Philippians 9-10).

God intends to bless us forever in Jesus.

God always intended to bless His creation. He told Abraham, "... blessing I will bless you" (Genesis 22:17a). From Adam and down through the Patriarchs, God explained how much He wanted to bless His people, to multipy their numbers on the earth.

But they were still sinners. They still needed a Savior. They looked forward to the day God would send the promised One (Genesis 3:15). Today, we look back to that day. The day the Father sent the Son.

II. God's Blessing Invites a Response

We ignore this great blessing to our peril.

The blessing of God at Christmas invites a heart response. That's why pastors give invitations.

Some of the saddest verses in scripture are John 1:10-11. "He (Jesus) was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him."

Jesus came to be the Savior, but He was not received. In fact, He was rejected (Luke 4:14-30; Acts 4:11).

But one of the happiest verses in scripture is John 1:12: "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

This is the response to the blessing that God desires. The Father sent the Son to be the Savior ... and He wants us to receive and believe.

III. My Unexpected "Blessing"

Sometimes our blessings aren't immediately recognized as blessings. This was the case with my Multiple Myeloma diagnosis.

God intends to use it for great blessing. That is why I have often called my diagnosis a "gift."

The Lord has already used my disease to open my eyes to many things:

• My laziness and short-sightedness regarding Kingdom priorities.
• Materialism that distracted me from true riches in Christ.
• Selfishness with my time and talents.
• Pride regarding my accomplishments.
• An earthly focus rather than living with eternity in view.

And so much more!

So as I have thought about the great blessings in my life in 2019—even those who come in "ugly wrappings"—I am more determined than ever to seek the Lord and His will in 2020.

Here are some things the Lord is saying to me . . .

IV. He—Jesus—Must "Increase"

We focus on Baby Jesus at Christmas—but must remember that in time, Baby Jesus grew up. The Bible says He "increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2:52).

Incidentally, that is how the Father wants us to increase. And we will, if we become Christ-like.

When Jesus was ready to begin His public ministry, the disciples of John the Baptist saw that many of John's followers were splitting off to follow after Jesus. They questioned this sudden change. John reminded them that he was not the Christ, but had only been "sent before Him" to prepare the way.

It was natural that the public ministry of Jesus would take off as John's preparatory ministry would begin to shut down.

John told his disciples, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). Then John began to point them and others to the Lord's expanding ministry.

During 2019, the Lord urged me many times to consider my future, for as long as He allows me to live. It's not to be about platform building or making my name known (not that there's anything wrong with that if God calls you to it).

The Lord clearly said to me, "You don't know how many years I'll give you, but I want you to give those years to Me.

"I want you to magnify Me and make My name known."

He has already blessed me mightily. He has redeemed me. He has shown Himself merciful and faithful, powerful and good.

And my response?  

He must increase—I must decrease.

This is a matter of attitude and position.

In a culture that pushes pride and self-promotion, "decreasing" in order to highlight Jesus' magnificence to others is no simple assignment. But that is the path of humility. That is the path Jesus walked.

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus...." (Philippians 2:5).

It's taking on the form of a servant. Just as Jesus came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45), that is the lifestyle He calls His followers to as well.

V. Yet ... I'm Blessed to "Increase" Too!

Even as I am called to DECREASE so Jesus can increase, there are some areas of my life that should INCREASE as I follow my Savior.

1. My Surrender Should Increase

"... present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship" (Romans 12:1).

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me" (Galatians 2:20).

"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it" (Mark 8:35).

2. My Love Should Increase

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30).

"Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (1 John 4:11).

"Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves" (Romans 12:10).

"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more...." (Philippians 1:9a).

"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44).

3. My Praise Should Increase

"Let us praise God for His glorious grace, for the free gift He gave us in His dear Son" (Ephesians 1:6).

"Praise Him—He is your God, and you have seen with your own eyes the great and astounding things that He has done for you" (Deuteronomy 10:21).

"We proclaim how great you are and tell of the wonderful things you have done" (Psalm 75:1).

4. My Ministry Should Increase

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed" (2 Corinthians 9:8).

"For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanksgiving to God" (2 Corinthians 9:12).

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58).

5. My Giving Should Increase

"You will be enriched in every way to be generous on every occasion, and your giving through us will produce thanksgiving to God" (2 Corinthians 9:11).

"Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7).

"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act" (Proverbs 3:27).

You can perhaps think of other areas that should INCREASE AS YOU DECREASE (in humility), and follow hard after the Lord.

Do you know how much you've been blessed? What is your response to that blessing? Could there be some fresh area of "increase" that would honor the Lord this Christmas and in 2020?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, at Revive Our Hearts, a blogger at TrueWoman.com, writes wiki-type posts at  Christianity.com, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Analogicus at Pixabay.

Goals to Redeem Regret in 2020

When I think of pure lovers of the Word of God, the name Cathy Horning always comes to my mind. She approaches the scriptures with an honest heart, and then vulnerably shares what God is teaching her. In this New Year's UPGRADE, Cathy looks back over the year and talks about a word no one likes: "REGRET."

"As 2019 comes to a close, I have a great regret," she says. "Yet as we welcome 2020, it is a regret I intend to redeem.

"My regret is a latent skill which has gnawed at my heart for decades, one I have ignored, neglected, and excused away the older I have grown."

I (Dawn) so identify with this. I have some regrets too. Some, I can't do anything to change now, but Cathy has inspired me to redeem the ones I can.

Cathy continues . . .

This regret surfaced only two weeks ago, after I traveled across the border into Mexico to share my testimony with a precious group of women who are stepping out of poverty and brokenness.

Thankfully, I was blessed with a wonderful interpreter. The Lord was very present, and at work to speak hope and encouragement for their futures. 

When I returned home, however, I was convicted that I had neglected to attend to the beautiful Spanish language which I studied in high school and college. You see, for the past forty years, I rationalized that I did not need this skill in my everyday life.

Memories came of how Señor Reyes, my high school Spanish teacher, instilled in me a love and a passion for his native language—as well as what a stickler he was for proper pronunciation.

Living in Arizona, it only made sense to continue learning this second language in college. Sadly though, once I married and had children, I rarely gave it a another thought.

Over the years, I mostly ignored the gnawing within me to refresh and invest in Spanish. Occasionally, I would listen to a Spanish Bible on CD or a pick up a workbook, always with the best intentions. But, because of a full and busy life, it never lasted.

Eventually, my Spanish was laid aside once again.

I justified, when would I ever use my rusty, latent skill anyway?

I never imagined, at the ripe age of 60, I would be invited to cross the border from my California home and speak to a beautiful group of women who primarily spoke Spanish.

But, GOD KNEW!

And, although I was provided an excellent interpreter to help share my message, I was unable to talk personally to the women, and their precious children. I knew the basics, and although a few were bilingual, I regretted I had not maintained and invested in my Spanish, so that I could speak and listen to each one of them.

The conviction of my neglected skill, and the assurance that I will be invited back to Mexico, has inspired this grandma to dust off and work on relearning her valuable Spanish speaking skills.

I realize I may never be accomplished enough to speak a whole message without the aid of an interpreter, but as I step into the new year, I plan to redeem the regret I have, simply because I did not continue to invest in and keep sharp my Spanish language skills.

FIRST, I intend to follow the example of my mentor and role model, my daughter, who faithfully and diligently continues to practice her skill of the French language every day. Only, I will practice Spanish.

SECOND, I will use the same phone app she uses, an alarm set and all, which helps her to keep on track and be accountable to practice daily.

THIRD, I will follow my daughter’s discipline to read and listen to books and music in the Spanish language that I now know I need to re-learn.

FINALLY, like my daughter, I will keep this skill fresh and as sharp as I am able, for circumstances in the present, as well as for opportunities in the future.

Paul and Peter each admonish us in their letters:

"Do not neglect the gift that is in you..." (I Timothy 4:14 NKJV).

"Each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (1 Peter 4:10 NKJV)

Dear reader, as we enter a new year and a new decade, is there a stirring in your heart to learn or invest in a latent talent or skill? Perhaps, music, art, a language, a craft, hobby or other skill or interest? Is there a longing that lingers, one that never really goes away?

Could it be God’s whisper for eternal and kingdom purposes which He has created you for?

Cathy Horning has been a women’s ministry leader, Bible Study teacher, speaker and writer for almost three decades. She loves the Word of God. Nothing brings her greater joy than encouraging women how to walk in God's ways. Cathy is a popular speaker, blogger and writer, as well as a beloved wife to her husband of 37 years, mom to four, grammy to 13, and spiritual mom to many. She is the author of Letters from a Mother's Heart—Timeless Truths from One Mom's Journey. Read more here at her website.

Graphic adapted. Feather duster from Feather Duster Depot.