April 6 2020

Why We Need to Live With Intention Right Now

Why We Need To Live With Intention Right Now

Hello, my dear friend, I am so glad to have you back at the kitchen table for a chat.  If you are new to the table, welcome, we are happy you are here as well.  There is always room for our friends and our new friends at the table.  Grab a mug of something warm, pull up a chair and let’s chat.  Last year I released a blog entitled Why You Need to Take Courage When You Know the Shift Is Coming.  In looking back at that conversation, I felt that some of it was very pertinent for today as well, so to start things off I wanted to review a few points from that blog with you. Following that, I thought that today we would talk about Why We Need to Live with Intention Right Now.

Shift - The Greater Change!

First, let’s chat about the difference between a change and a shift. When I think of change, I think of something that is happening to me, with or without my agreement and/or effort. When I think of a shift, I think of something that is going to require effort on my part and, ultimately, is going to lead to growth. A shift generally requires digging deep for and/or developing a completely new set of skills. Shifts take us out of our comfort zone.  They require that we move and think differently.  In addition, if we lean into the shift, we will meet the possibility of revolutionary change in our lives. We can decide if those things that are moving in our lives are changes or shifts.  Will we let it happen to us or will we consider playing an active role?  Change vs. Shift! Shift – the greater change!

Shifting Requires Courage

Courage, like shift, is an active word.  It requires us to “venture” which means to proceed especially in the face of danger. (Merriam-Webster, 2019, retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/venture#h1). It requires that we dig in, find our mental and moral strength, and then push ahead towards the shift, even amid the danger, uncertainty, fear or difficulty we are encountering. Courage requires that we decide to stay the course.  We know the shift is coming.  We know that we know that we know.  Now we need to commit to staying the course.

"Final Push" Courage

There is courage and then there is “final push” courage.  Courage is what allows you to stay the course through the change and through the shift.  “Final push” courage is that courage that allows you to lean in, lean forward and give it your all at that point when you feel like you have nothing left to give.  When you have been moving toward the shift for some time and you know you are on the cusp, but you can’t quite see it because of the weariness that clouds your vision and you can’t hear it coming through your own cries of “How long, O LORD?”. But, you know that you know that you know, without a shadow of a doubt that you have come this far and you are going to go the distance. This is “final push” courage. It is the courage that mothers have as they are about to deliver their baby.  Long-distance runners and athletes dig in and find this kind of courage when the finish line is close enough to touch. In addition, we, every day, find this courage when we are weary and frustrated but know that we have come too far to give up now and miss the shift.

On The Cusp Of A Shift

These are unusual times.  Many people have described them in many ways.  My thought, right now, however, is that it doesn’t matter so much how we label them, as long as we recognize that we are in a time where there is a great opportunity for shifting.  In this time I believe we will need to decide though, whether we will be changed (willingly or unwillingly) by the situation around us or we will lean in and shift.

There Is A Sound

On March 23rd, as I sat with the Lord I received (in part) this:

“You have the key – open your mouth and release the sound in the atmosphere. There is a lock in the atmosphere that needs to be opened – the keys have already been distributed throughout the earth. It is time to stop knocking when you have the key to open the doors in the atmosphere – open your mouth – speak it and watch the doors swing open.

There is a sound that will unlock the doors of the atmosphere.

My people have gone quiet – open your mouth and release the sound.

Your sound is unique like a unique key. Stop staying “I don’t have.” It has already been put into place – use it. Who, having a key, refuses to use it to open the door in front of them? – you will grow weary knocking. Cry out and let your sound flow – the atmosphere is waiting.

Pastor Siadra of Agape House Church Canada, on April 5th, preached about a Seismic Sound that needs to come forth from the people of God at this time. Hear that sermon by clicking here.

How Will A Sound Go Forth Without A Plan?

If we are being called, in this time to release the sound that is within us to unlock doors in the atmosphere, to lean into the shift, how will we do so without a clear plan? I would suggest that for many of us, for some time, we have been moving forward, perhaps even attempting to release a sound, but in an inconsistent, hit and miss kind of way.   Let us be honest.  We are busy, we are distracted and we do not always take the time to sit and make intentional plans for our times. 

It Is Time For Intention

Intention requires more than a desire to move forward in a particular way (resolve).  Intention requires a prioritized and well thought out plan.  A plan that is flexible to take a pivot but that is concrete enough that if shared with someone else they could put it into place without too much explanation.  “WOW! Really?” you are thinking. That is a concrete plan. Well, here is the thing.  We have 24 hours in a day.  Work, sleep and basic activities around self-care take up a large chunk of that time. What we do with the time that is remaining has great potential.  What often happens, though, is that we fail to understand that what we do not prioritize most often does not get done. Time moves quickly like sand in an hourglass and if we are not intentional about what we want to do with that time, we find ourselves at the end of another day, weary and not much farther ahead. If we would just learn to be clear about where we are heading then we would find it much easier to prioritize what we will say yes and no to, in our lives.  When we are clear on our yes and our no, it becomes easier to turn away from those things that will not move us forward in the direction we intend to head.

Going For The Shift - Releasing A Sound

I believe in this hour, to release the sound the Lord has placed within us, we need a two-pronged plan.  We need a Vision and a Strategy.  Both of these things come to us by spending time in prayer, in relationship with the Lord and with time in the Word. Now is the time to buckle down and go deeper into your relationship with the Lord.  For many of us, in this season, we have been given a gift of time at home. That is going to look a bit different for each one of us.  However, right off the top, it is an opportunity to make more than a change – it is an opportunity for shifting.  Everything has changed, it all looks different, from your roles and responsibilities, to how you interact with others, to how you work and what your finances look like. We could allow the circumstances to change us – panic, complain or just see this as permission to “check out”, all the time acting as if it is all out of our control.  Or we can choose to lean in and initiate a shift. Some things are out of our control but some things are well within our control, such as what we choose to do with our time. For some of us, we need to start with some much-needed resting time, family time, and time for reflection.  For all of us, quiet time in prayer and devotions should be at the top of our priorities.  But what about the rest of the time?   

Vision And Strategy

It is time to sit down with the Lord, with a pen and paper, and ask for the Vision and Strategy He has for you in this season

Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”  How will you know where to step next if you do not know where you are going?  So let’s start by asking the Lord:

1) What are You saying to me at this time? 

That is your vision.  That is what you will look to each day to remind yourself of where you are going.  This is where you will look when you forget what the Lord has promised you and has assured you of.  This will be where you will look to keep your eyes on the Lord and the things of the Lord because you are a Kingdom citizen, not a citizen of this world.

Once you have a vision you need to ask for a strategy.  The question for the Lord is simple:

2) What would You have me doing in this season?

This is the beginning of your strategy.  Once you know what you need to be doing you will make a concrete plan. A plan you can refer to frequently and adjust as necessary. 

This Is Intention

This is intention. You have promises, reassurances and a direction.  You know where you are headed.  You have a plan around what steps need to happen.  You have the resolve and you have a concrete plan.  You are now ready to begin releasing the Sound that Lord has for you to release into the atmosphere. You will be able to make wise decisions and prioritize your time accordingly.  You will not look back at this time and season in your life as a missed opportunity or a time when you were moved by forces outside your control.  Rather, you will be able to look back at this time and season as one in which you choose to lean in and shift and release a necessary Sound into the atmosphere.

What I Know

These are unusual times.  I believe they are also pivotal times for you and me. Change comes whether we like it or not, but shifting is a completely different cup of tea.  We have to choose to shift. When we find the courage and the “final push” courage to do so, our lives will never be the same again.

Once we decide to move with the shift, we must decide to move with intention.  No one ever fully shifted who did not have the resolve and vision to do so and a clear plan.

The Lord is so faithful – if you sit with Him and ask of Him, He will give you guidance and direction.  I would be so happy if you would commit to starting this process with me.  Carve out some time at the beginning of this week and sit with the Lord.  Listen to what He has to say to you in this hour.

Until Next Time

Well, my friend, our time has come to an end.  My cup is empty and it is time to move on for now.  As part of leaning into my shift, I plan to develop some tools in the upcoming days to help you to move intentionally in this hour.  I am planning on some material to help you set your vision and begin to plan the strategy the Lord has given you by helping you set some clear and achievable goals.   These tools will be available online and free of charge.  I am committed to helping you lean into your shift and to release your Sound in this hour.

If you are signed up for blog updates, watch your email for further information in the next week or so.  You can also watch my Business Facebook Page for updates. If you like my page and then click follow and see first (all at the top of the page) you will get notifications when I post new information.

 

Click here to go to the Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/GodsWritingDancer/

I will also be putting these tools on my website at https://www.lauriehopkins.ca

Your Turn To Comment

If there is anything specific you would like help with, for me to comment on or tools you would like to see me develop, please let me know. You can contact me via any of the means listed below.

As always, I love to hear from you – so be sure to be in touch!

Be In Touch

I am at the kitchen table every day; drop by anytime for a chat! You can find me on:

Email  laurie@lauriehopkins.ca

Professional Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/GodsWritingDancer/

Pinterest  https://www.pinterest.ca/LaurieHopkins10/

Comment section at the end of each blog

Until next time,

From my heart to yours!

 

Laurie

Category: Uncategorized | LEAVE A COMMENT
June 24 2019

My Journey, Your Journey (Sharing Our Stories)

My Journey, Your Journey (Sharing Our Stories)

Hello my friend – you know the drill – grab a cup of something hot in a fabulous mug and take a seat! How was your week?  What exciting things were you involved in? Were you able to find time to check out the last post on Time as a Mindset?  If not, scroll down further and you’ll see it there! I have been thinking a lot this week about My Journey, Your Journey; about sharing out stories and the challenges and benefits of doing so. 

What stories do you have to share?  What stories do you want to really listen to?  The sharing of our stories is an anchor of hope and unity in the Body of Christ.  If I can be real and comfortable in telling my authentic story and you can be real and comfortable in listening to my authentic story and vice versa – then we can begin to connect at a deeper and more meaningful level. Community and unity will follow.

We All Have A Story

We all have a story; every single one of us.  As a matter of fact, each one of us has numerous stories that add up to the one large story that serves as a map of our journey.  Most of us understand that we have a story, what many of us struggle with is not whether or not we have a story, but rather the significance of that story.  We wonder if we have a story worth sharing.  Sometimes we even understand that our story is worth sharing, but then we lose sight of the importance of stepping out and sharing that story.

Why Share Our Stories?

Why should we bother to share our stories and listen to the stories of others? 

 

1) The sharing of stories brings significance to our lives.

2) Framing and sharing our stories builds courage, vulnerability and resilience within us

3) Our stories encourage others

4) The sharing of stories creates community leading to unity

5) Sharing our stories teaches us to be listeners as well as talkers and receivers as well as givers

6) Character is built through the reflective process necessary in the framing and subsequent sharing of our stories and listening to the stories of others

Past Experiences With Sharing Our Stories

What has happened in the past when we considered sharing our stories?  We often wait to be asked to share out story. Some of us have never been asked to share our stories. This may have happened for a number of reasons. People can get caught up in their own stories.  They may believe/assume that they already know our story.  Or, they may want to listen to our story but they don’t know how to ask without coming across as intrusive.

 

When it comes to listening to the stories of others, sometimes we haven’t really known how to listen, receive, or respond.  This has resulted in discomfort, because although there was an effort on both parts, to tell the story and to listen, both of us walked away feeling uncomfortable and unwilling to go there again.

Changing Our Experiences - Authenticity and Framing

The first step to a positive experience in sharing out stories is to begin living and then sharing from a place of authenticity.  Our stories are easier to share when they come from our authentic lives, not lives that are built up and covered up. 

 

Then we need to learn how to frame our stories.  We need to become courageous and brave enough to dig deep for the real in our lives – to find the real essence of who we are and the stories that support that. 

 

Once we have begun to frame our stories, we can begin sharing. A big piece of sharing our story is carving out time to allow sharing to happen.  Time is of the essence.  Not allowing the time and space for sharing to happen can be one of the biggest barriers to effective sharing and listening of stories.  If you haven’t read last week’s blog post on Time as a Mindset that is a great place to start!

Changing Our Experiences - Encouraging And Listening

While we are preparing to share our stories, we can start encouraging those around us to share their stories. When they see us living from a place of authenticity and digging deep for real in our lives to begin framing and sharing our stories, they will be encouraged to begin on their journey to do the same.

 

We can also begin really listening to the stories of others.  We must be mindful to never get so caught up in our own stories that we neglect the stories of others.  Having the opportunity to listen to the stories of others is a gift and a privilege.  Hearing is a passive process.  Listening is an active process. If we begin to really listen to others, receive their stories with grace and actively engage in the exchange, the sharer of the story will feel cared for and will be more likely to step out and share their story again and again.

Why Does It Matter?

Why does it matter?  Is it really necessary to share our stories and hear the stories of others?  YES!  Life is a blank book full of pages waiting to be written on.  We often consider the living of our life all that is necessary to fill in those pages; but in reality, until we have shared that life, those pages only tell half the story!  When others only watch our life and never have the opportunity to hear our stories that leads to assumptions and misunderstandings.  Assumptions and misunderstandings about our life encourages us to build facades to make things look better and walls to keep others from getting too close to see the cracks.

 

The telling of our story encourages authenticity, transparency and clarity around who we are, where we’ve come from and where we are going.  The hearing of our authentic story encourages a deeper and truer understanding of the same.

 

Future Possibilities

When people come together and tell their stories and listen to the stories of others, new stories and future possibilities are created.  There is power in coming together and sharing.  Coming together allows for the power of creativity and ideas, the power of validation, the power of collaboration and the power of support and encouragement. 

 

The listener is encouraged and the sharer is validated.  Both have a good experience and they feel empowered to go out and engage in the process again. There is a more accurate and gracious understanding of one another.  Community and unity are created and grow. And the process continues.  People began to connect in a meaningful and deep way. People began to carve out the time and space necessary for continued connections.  The future possibilities are endless.

What Next?

Would you like to learn more about writing, telling and sharing your story? Would you like to learn how to really listen to the stories of others?

Let’s get on board and become fabulous storytellers and expert listeners – we live the material everyday – let’s begin to frame it, let’s put it on paper, let’s put it to hearts and minds and in doing so, build a community that lives in unity and can’t easily be pulled apart.

 I would love to hear from you!  Drop a comment below.  Tell me about your experiences with sharing your stories and where you would like to go from here!

Until Next Time!

Well, my friend, I can see the bottom of my tea cup which tells me it is just about time to go.  I am sure happy you took the time to drop in today.

See you again next week, same time, same place!

 

This week, begin to think about your experiences with telling your story and listening to the stories of others.  There is more for all of us if we commit to changing our past experiences and move into a future of possibilities through sharing out stories!

 

If you are interested in more Devotional reading, head over to my Facebook Page where you will find a Weekly Devotion early every Monday morning. Click here to go directly to Weekly Devotions with Laurie.

Until next time,

From my heart to yours!

Laurie

 

Category: Uncategorized | LEAVE A COMMENT