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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Pen and Paper (07/17/14)
Every year on New Year’s Day, or soon thereafter, my husband and I grab pen and paper and head to our favorite restaurant. We dislike the idea of New Year’s resolutions that never seem to work. However, we choose to plan our future as best we can. We enjoy sitting with our cup of coffee in hand, carefully planning our long and short-term goals for the coming year.

There are times, though when I wonder why we even bother. With all the broken dreams and failed attempts at success, I just want to give up even trying. In reflecting back to the previous years, it seems very few goals were met. It’s at these times I just want to shout, “OK God, you take this pen and write out my life’s goals!”

Then I realize that is exactly what He wants me to do. He wants me to lay down that pen and let Him write out my life as I yield myself to His perfect plan. God has promised in His Word to lead me in the right path for my life. He promised to straighten out the crooked places should I veer from the path He has chosen (Isah 42:16).

I know this all takes some action on my part as well. I need to ask the Lord about every decision I make. For example, what job should I take, what career do I pursue? If I am to hear from God, I need to keep close to Him in prayer and in His Word. Once I hear from Him, I need to trust His choice, even if it might not be the plan I would have chosen.

As life goes on, I’ll want to trust God to direct or redirect my life as He fills in all the details that will make my life special for me, and for all the lives the Lord would have me touch along the way. I know the Lord has wonderful plans for me, so I want Him to hold the pen, and I will hold the paper as we plan together.

I’m sure my husband and I will continue our New Year’s tradition of setting long and short-term goals. However, I know we will prayerfully consider which direction the Lord is taking us, and let Him keep us on the right path.
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This article has been read 798 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
C D Swanson 
07/25/14
Beautiful and delightful way of presenting the topic, with truth and thoughts to ponder.

God bless~
Joanne Sher 
07/26/14
Very clear, engaging, thought-provoking post. Nicely done!
Laury Hubrich 
07/26/14
I like this - let God write our life's goals. :) Nice job!
Joe Moreland
07/27/14
This is a well written and insightful piece. It is so hard for all of us to let go of the steering wheel and allow someone else to drive, but the choice seems clear to me, let God drive or keep trying to steer yourself until you're hopelessly lost (although, there is really never such a thing as "no hope").

I really enjoyed this thought provoking entry.
Diane M. Bowman
07/27/14
Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Good use of the topic.
Joshua Janoski
07/28/14
I'm always one of those people that hates making New Year's resolutions, because I always feel like I fail to achieve them.

I think that's where letting God write out His plan for my life like you talk about in this piece will really free me from worrying about what I'm going to do this year, next year, or any year after that. :)

Thanks for sharing your heart!
Bea Edwards 
07/28/14
Nicely written devotional.

Keeping in step with God's will for our lives seems to be an exercise in not running ahead or lagging behind.

Judith Gayle Smith-Owens Vitouswykegardinerclark
07/30/14
Your second paragraph brought the tears and years of frustration to settle on my already aging cheeks.

Superb.
Anita van der Elst
07/31/14
Very nicely written devotional. I'm wondering if there might be room for showing us a little bit of those disappointing experiences to bring the piece more to life?