Don't. Look. Back.

Susan Stewart writes practical, often humorous encouragement to the family of God, written from a biblical perspective. In this New Year's UPGRADE, she says we need a God-focused, forward point of view in the new year.

"Many of us experienced drought conditions in 2022. Central Texas was no different," Susan says.

"We knew the situation was worsening when coyotes began moving closer to the ranches. During that time, our hen Louise learned the perils of a coyote on her tail . . . literally." (Louise is the black hen, pictured above.)

I (Dawn) don't like it when wildlife moves closer to homes. I live in a part of California where coyotes get too close for our comfort. I'm glad I don't have chickens to protect! I love it that Susan created this teachable moment.

Susan continues . . .

Louise and her pal Thelma didn’t like to stay in the yard with the other chickens. They were ever stretching their boundaries.

One hot afternoon, I heard a chicken warning squabble. I looked out to see Louise running as fast as her legs could take her with a coyote right behind her. Apparently, she forgot she fly back into the safety of the yard.

Once the hungry predator heard our dogs, it turned from Louise and darted into the trees.

I noticed it didn’t have a chicken in its mouth. I found a pile of feathers at the back of the house, but no Louise.

She returned to the coop in the evening, as chickens will do.

Louise returned without tail feathers.

How did this feisty hen managed to outrun the wiley coyote? She followed the advice of track coaches everywhere: “Don’t look back.”

Each time a runner turns her head to see where the competition is, she slows her pace. Louise just kept looking and running forward for a way of escape.

For our family, and maybe yours, the year 2022 was a “terrible, horrible, no-good, bad” year.

The coyote was behind us.

Even though 2023 has just begun, it’s easy to look over our shoulder to see what happened in the past and not move forward. We can get stuck watching for another attack.

But like Louise, we mustn’t look back at the pursuing enemy.

I’ve adopted the words “Don’t. Look. Back.” as my theme this year. I’ve made it my goal not to relive the terrible,the horrible, the no-good, the bad. 

God has given us three ways to look forward.

1. Put our hand to the plow.

When 2022 began, we had no idea it would be a forgettable year. I don’t know about 2023.

Jesus tells us we're to plow forward without looking back (Luke 9:62).

There it is in God’s word—Don’t. Look. Back.

2. Look to Jesus.

No matter the circumstances, our focal point is Jesus. Why? He is the founder and perfector of our faith; he gives us joy (Hebrews 12:2).

As we look to Jesus, as the old hymn says, “things of earth grow strangely dim.”

3. Understand God’s plan.

No matter what has happened in the past, God has established plans for our good to give us a future with hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

We can look forward with our eye on Jesus—to God’s good even in the “terrible, horrible, no-good, bad” circumstances.

Oh, how is Louise doing?

Her tail feathers have grown back, and she still leaves the safe enclosure of the yard now and then. Sadly, her friend Thelma didn’t return from one of her trips to the “wild.”

I think Louise learned a lesson from the coyote encounter.

I also learned from my encounter with the “coyote” year.

God is our safe enclosure—if we only look to Him.

Did you have a “terrible, horrible, no-good, bad” experience? How has looking to Jesus without looking back carried you through?

Susan K. Stewart is Managing Editor with Elk Lake Publishing. When she’s not tending chickens, peacocks, and donkeys, Susan teaches, writes, and edits non-fiction. Her passion is to inspire readers with practical, real-world solutions. Her books include Science in the Kitchen, Preschool: At What Cost?, Harried Homeschoolers Handbook, and the award-winning Formatting e-Books for Writers. Susan's latest book, Donkey Devos: Listening When God Speaks, is a devotional based on life with her donkeys. You can learn more about Susan at her website www.susankstewart.com.

The Secret to Doing Hard Things

Kathy Carlton Willis is amazing. I've watched her go through a series of tough circumstances over the last few years, and she always manages to choose biblical responses as she teaches others how to deal with struggles as "God's Grin Gal." In this Biblical Thinking UPGRADE, she shares her secret for doing hard things.

“I’m usually self-sufficient but lately I’ve realized more than ever that I’m not Wonder Woman,” Kathy says. “The demands of life not only highlight my weaknesses, but spotlight God’s strength.

Now I (Dawn) just shared how amazing Kathy is, but if you read her opening statement, you'll realize how humble she is before the Lord, always trusting His sovereign purposes. 

Kathy continues . . .

Everyone’s been talking about what a hard year 2020 has been. My personal worst day of an already bad year happened the day before Hurricane Delta hit our area.

My family sold our forever home to move to an area where my husband’s job landed him, and we dealt with many unknowns at once—more like didn’t deal with them.

The day finally came to load the last POD with belongings and hit the road.

Sometimes you gain life lessons through the worst experiences!

Here’s what I learned.

Don’t believe what they say a POD storage unit holds. 

We packed to the ceiling, but still had items that wouldn’t fit. So we had to leave behind multiple pieces of furniture. This day was a day of many mini goodbyes.

Packing and loading a POD with your mate will show you how well you work together and love each other. 

Russ and I passed that test!

I also learned I’m still strong physically and on the inside. Grateful for that strength to come through when I needed it.

One time when we flipped a heavy desk upside down to stack it on top of the washer and dryer, I turned to Russ and said, “We did this. We did this. We did this!

Sometimes you have to celebrate the immediate accomplishment before the entire goal is even completed.

Moving the day before a hurricane hits is not wise. 

Loading a POD while it’s lightly raining wasn’t great. But driving in a three-car caravan through almost zero-visibility on highways packed with merciless aggressive drivers evacuating the area is a nightmare.

My husband drove lead and went faster than we were comfortable following. He made a couple of turns not in the plans.

Mom drove in the middle and had a hard time seeing or keeping up with Russ. I was the caboose and my main job was to keep an eye on Mom and go where she went, even when she lost the lead car.

This meant pulling over three times for regrouping and calling Russ to reconnect. The phone map app in remote locations wasn’t reliable.

We truly got to the destination as a grace of God—I’m sure of it.

God can be trusted. 

When we were just two minutes down the road, physically exhausted from loading the POD, emotionally exhausted from saying goodbye to my forever home, and mentally exhausted from dealing with multiple challenges in addition to the weather, I whined to God.

I can’t do this.

God said, “Can you trust Me?”

Yes, Lord.

He said, “Don’t focus on what you can’t do, focus on trusting Me, and I’ll take care of the rest. I’ll get you there.”

Okay Lord.

For the 2.5 hour trip, I prayed . . . and prayed. 

You can do hard things. 

After enduring the above issues and getting to the destination, we had three vehicles to unload in the pouring down rain, making about twenty trips into our temporary dwelling place.

I was perfectly willing to get soaking wet and exert more physical energy and lifting compared to driving in those awful conditions.

Perspective can help you deal with yucky stuff by remembering something far worse.

Storms are called storms for a reason. 

The physical storm of Hurricane Delta was horrendous. Way worse than predicted. And going through it in a strange place was difficult.

We had three worn out frustrated people who craved space, all situated in tight quarters. Not ideal.

But we were safe. Safe in the storm.

 How to Do Hard Things

1. Trust God.

Without trusting Him, we’re actually trusting in ourselves. And sadly, we don’t have what it takes apart from God to get it done.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT).

2. Do the first thing.

Don’t try to tackle it all. Just do the step immediately in front of you. God will show you what it is.

The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving (Psalm 28:7 NLT).

3. Keep going when it’s hard.

It might not get easier until it is OVER.

“The Lord says, ‘I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name’ (Psalm 91:14 NLT).

4. Celebrate when to-do becomes ta-done.

In our eagerness to be productive, we often forget this step before moving on to the next thing.

This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24 NLT).

Your choices in hard times can spotlight the Lord’s strength and faithfulness.

What hard thing does God want you to do this week?

Kathy Carlton Willis is God’s Grin Gal. She writes and speaks with a balance of funny and faith—whimsy and wisdom. Over a thousand of Kathy’s articles have been published and she has several books in her Grin Gal brand. Look for 7 Trials Every Woman Faces, coming soon. Kathy is active as a book industry pro, and her coaching group, WordGirls, propels women toward their writing goals. She graduated with honors from Bible College and has served 30+ years in full-time ministry. Check out her Grin & Grow Break video devotions on social media. www.kathycarltonwillis.com

Graphic of PODS Storage Unit at Mobile Attic.

Graphic adapted of Hurricane Delta, courtesy of Wikipedia.

Finding Peace When Regret Cripples Your Heart

Dianne Barker is a positive author with a caring heart. In this Biblical Perspective UPGRADE, she reminds us where our peace comes from when our hearts are filled with regrets.

Dianne asks, "Are you looking back on what appears to be a colossal failure?"

I (Dawn) think we all have them—regrets about our failures. But we don't have to let regrets settle into our hearts. God made a way to confident peace, and Dianne helps us understand how that can change us.

Dianne continues . . .

Looking back on failure thrusts me into a reflective mood:

• wondering where I messed up,
• how I could have made better decisions, and
• what else I could have done to get the desired result.

The cliché hindsight is 20/20 is on target.

Sadly, we don’t have hindsight when we need it—BEFORE the colossal failure.

When it does show up, we beat and blame ourselves for not handling matters better, crying, "If only!"

A friend’s wise words helped me move beyond crippling regret.

I had arrived at our Bible study feeling discouraged and defeated after giving an angry response to someone I loved. Now my friend and I would teach other women about the Christ-filled life.

Feeling like a failure, I shared the situation with my co-leader, Amy, a precious and godly young woman who loved me unconditionally. 

She knew my angry response was out of character and that I would make amends. But at this moment, I needed to move beyond the incident and focus on the lesson.

With eyes communicating love and concern, she said,

“'Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.' If something happened five minutes ago, it’s behind.”

Learning to apply Philippians 3:13 in such a practical way changed me.

Our amazing minds do not forget, but we can choose to put a matter out of mind.

The top two reasons to forget the past: 

• It wasn’t very good.
• It’s unchangeable.

Why do we continue thinking about a disappointment that caused hurt? It’s past… unchangeable.

If we don’t put it out of mind, failure will rob our peace and joy going forward.

Maybe you had a colossal failure in a relationship. Maybe you made a devastating personal choice.

Here's how I've learned to deal with regrets:

1. Run to Jesus and confess the failure.

2. Accept His forgiveness.

3. Seek His wisdom and go in His strength to make amends, if amends are required. (Sometimes the issue is mine only).

4. Choose to put the incident out of mind and go forward giving praise to the Lord.

Our Enemy loves to berate us, reminding us of failure and pouring on regret.

Friend, it is past! Forgiven!

Actively trust in God's forgiveness, release the past to His grace, and surrender your life to walk in obedience.

King David had a colossal failure. Remember the Bathsheba-Uriah incident? He suffered unthinkable consequences for his poor judgment, but he confessed and received God’s forgiveness and blessing.

Let 1 Kings 15:5 encourage you:

“because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.” 

Is there a colossal failure you need to get past? When the Enemy pours on regret, how can embracing what God's Word says about intentionally "forgetting" your past—your regrets—give you peace?

Dianne Barker is a speaker, radio host, and author of 11 books, including the best-selling Twice Pardoned and award-winning I Don’t Chase the Garbage Truck Down the Street in My Bathrobe Anymore! Organizing for the Maximum Life. She’s a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Christian Authors Network, and Word Weavers International. Visit her blog for more information. www.diannebarker.com.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Foundry Co at Pixabay.

Help for a Holiday Inversion

I always love the way Julie Sanders calls us to serenity rather than struggle, and peace rather than pressure. In this Christmas UPGRADE, Julie calls us to a more "heavenly" perspective.

"If it’s the 'most wonderful time of the year,'" Julie says, "why do I feel the reverse? How do I get out from under the pressure?"

This is a different holiday season for me (Dawn) this year because of illness—but oh, how I remember my typical stressful holidays in years past.

The Lord is teaching me better priorities, but I want to learn from Julie's wisdom too.

Julie continues . . .

Northern regions like my hometown often experience a winter weather inversion. In a reversal of what’s normal, the air closest to earth weighs down air above. The resulting soup-like atmosphere becomes thick with dust, smoke, and pollutants.

Though it seems like it should rain, conditions prevent cleansing relief. Underneath the cloud cap, air Temperature Inversion over Almaty, Kazakhstanpressure builds and may even become turbulent. Stagnation warnings keep people inside, making them crave fresh air. Confusion sets in as heavy haze descends over the layer where life is lived, pushing out crisp, clear air.  

Sandwiched between days of giving thanks and celebrating Christ’s coming, the holiday season happens in the layer of life-soup.

We may be overcome by “too many things,” even good things.

Surrounded by information, requests, needs, and issues in our environment, a layer of oppression may move in and overhang our joy. Movies to magazines, cards to choirs, they tell us it’s normal to be full of joy. But many of us feel weighed down.

Like a reversal of weather, conditions collide and press in, creating confusion and turbulence.

It may feel FAR from wonderful.

When we live and breathe the earthly, it gets heavy.

Compromised visibility makes it hard to see life clearly. Pressure builds into holiday heaviness and lost hope.

If you can’t shake the feeling it shouldn’t be this way, let the strong wind of the life-giving Holy Spirit blow away the "life-soup" choking out joy.

The Bible describes the Holy Spirit as a wind as early as Genesis 1:2. Like wind is unseen but with powerful impact, so the Holy Spirit is a powerful, invisible force not controlled by people, but impacting people. The same Greek word describes the wind and the Spirit.

“The wind (pneuma) blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit (pneuma)” (John 3:8).

Between days to give thanks and give gifts, it’s easy to give out. We want to breathe in the heavenly, but we’re under the hold of what’s here.

The Holy Spirit can help turn our eyes toward heaven in the holidays.

In 1952, London Smog was so “lethal” that thousands died. In a five-day weather inversion, so many died that the city ran out of flowers and coffins. It wasn’t until a strong wind pushed out the stagnation that the city could breathe again.

If we settle in to a life layer where God’s peace is replaced by pressure, we risk long-term impact.

• Staying in stagnate air makes us sick.
• Staying in a stagnate state of heart and mind makes us sick.

A holiday season lived in "life-soup" produces poor visibility, pressure and fatigue. Let the strong wind of the Holy Spirit blow in and blow away the heaviness.

Make space for the heavenly.

Let God’s Spirit lift your earthly focus and refresh you with the life you’re meant to know during the “most wonderful time of the year”—and all year.

How would your holiday to-do list look different if you stopped and asked the Holy Spirit to shape it with a heavenly perspective?

Julie Sanders loves lifting women who lead. She’s the author of The ABCs of Praying for Students and Expectant, a devotional for new and expectant moms. Julie finds joy in helping moms find purpose and peace on their motherhood journeys. She writes from her online base at juliesanders.org.

Meme graphic adapted—"Christmas Tree Images"—courtesy of Angelina Jollivet at Unsplash.com.

Weather Inversion photo - Igors Jefimovs for Wikipedia.

When Life Throws a Curveball

Dianne Barker speaks clearly and wisely about many of the issues women face. In this Perspective UPGRADE, she writes about the inevitable curveballs in life.

Dianne prayed: "I didn’t see that coming! Lord, is this from you?"

I (Dawn) understand curveballs—believe me. A recent unexpected medical diagnosis sent me reeling!

Dianne's wisdom about life's curveballs is excellent.

Dianne continues . . .

I thought we’d agreed on plans. Still celebrating a national bestseller, Twice Pardoned, I asked the Lord. Where do we go from here?

Without giving Him a chance to answer, I responded to my own question.

I’ll just continue writing bestsellers, of course.

Then I got this curveball.

Being a fan of baseball, I researched the meaning of curveball and learned it’s a slow pitch causing hitters to be off-balance and swing too early. An experienced pitcher using a curveball can impact the game.

You’ve seen a hitter, anticipating a fast ball, scrunch his face and sling his bat after being tricked by a curveball he didn’t expect.

The ink was barely dry on Twice Pardoned when God began leading me from a very public life as successful journalist, speaker, and bestselling author to what I now call a shrunken life.

Caring for my parents and my husband’s parents as they declined in health kept me out of the publishing loop for fifteen years. No bestsellers.

I believe in the sovereignty of God, and He used that time to draw me to himself.

Looking back, that hard place was a sweet period of my life.

During that time, I discovered a simple explanation of the word sovereignty while having a conversation with my son who was home from college for the weekend.

I don’t remember the discussion, but I must have been bombarding him with concerns and fears. He made a comment that changed my life.

“If God isn’t in control, who is?”

What I know about sovereignty:

• God IS in absolute control.
• Everything that comes to me is filtered through His loving hands.
• Whatever touches my life, He will use it for my good and His glory. 

That’s what I know. And that’s truth to trust in when life throws a curveball.

When that happens, I say to self:

God must have a lot of confidence in me to trust me with this challenge.

And after sufficient grieving, I manage to praise Him in spite of my questions and fears. I don’t know the outcome, but I know the One who controls the outcome.

And He loves me.

“…I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you” (Jeremiah 31:3).

“But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand...” (Psalm 31:14-15).

Life is unpredictable, but my response to curveballs can impact the game.

I choose to live by this decision:

“I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High” (Psalm 7:17).

I don’t welcome curveballs. But I’m certain the Lord will lavish me with love and use my experience for good while gaining glory for Himself.

Knowing that replaces my fear with expectation.

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him” (Psalm 62:5).

Let me ask:

How do you respond when life throws a curveball?

Dianne Barker is a speaker, radio host, and author of 11 books, including the best-selling Twice Pardoned and award-winning I Don’t Chase the Garbage Truck Down the Street in My Bathrobe Anymore! Organizing for the Maximum Life. She’s a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Christian Authors Network, and Christian Women in Media Association. Visit www.diannebarker.com.