Make your goals specific or be ready for God's interpretation. . .

We all do it.  Whether formally on paper, in our head, or just in our spirit.  Our entire life we set goals, things we want to do or be.
Recently, I have been evaluating my almost 40 years.  I started out thinking, wow, I haven't met any of my goals.  It was then in my self-pity, that God was able slap me.  And say, "you met them, take a minute and reevaluate, this time look at them with My boundaries and not Rachel's."

This is what I found -

Goal #1 - I want to be a teacher when I grow up.  
Rachel's Idea
My view of this had me in an amazing classroom full of children who were excited that I was their teacher.  A classroom that other teachers only longed to have - full of wonder, color, technology, and creativity.  I was going to make a difference in lives of countless students.  I was going to be that teacher they always thought of as adults, when they thought of the teacher that made a difference in their lives.
God's Idea
I am the teacher to three amazing people.  I sit at my kitchen table surrounded by laundry, dirty dishes, and lunch plates discussing the Trojan War, atomic structure, how to find the area of a circle, the Apollo space missions, and how to write a good paragraph - simultaneously.  I will the be the teacher they think of when they grow up, by default :).

Goal #2 - I want to change the world.
Rachel's Idea
I was going to do something that people would recognize as world changing.   Something that made this world a better place.  Something that allowed this world to have little more potential.
God's Idea
He gave me three acres of "the world" to change.  I have quite literally changed the physical world on which we live.  What was once over grown and unusable, is now producing food and allowing animals to sustain life.  It is providing a place for family and friends to get away from the hustle and bustle and find hope and peace.  My three acres have potential and there is lot more "world" changing left to do.

Goal #3 - I want a big family.
Rachel's Idea
We were going to give the Duggar's a run for their money :)
God's Idea
He gave me body that would have limits, but heart that would not.  Becoming a foster parent has allowed me to love - at last count 7 little blessings.  Who knows?  Some of these blessing may officially become Medlin's, but all of them have been loved with a mother's love.

Goal #4 - I want to preach The Word.
Rachel's Idea
I was going to be a preacher like all those preachers I know.  I was going to stand in a pulpit and deliver sermons that would make people want to be different.
God's Idea
Here is the definition of preach on google -

Full Definition of PREACH

intransitive verb

1

:  to deliver a sermon

2

:  to urge acceptance or abandonment of an idea or course of action

Looks like God had definition number in mind for me.

And Finally Goal #4 - I want to be a writer.
Rachel's Idea
I wanted to walk through the library and see my name on the spine of a book.  I wanted to write words that move people.  Words that would link in with other goals I had like changing the world and preaching.
God's Idea
He gave me a blog and let me vent my heart about how He deals with me.

Do you see the pattern yet?  All my goals were totally ME centered.  All about how my name would make a difference.  All His fulfillment's of my goals are totally GOD centered.  They can't be described without using His name.   They can't be explained without giving Him glory.  And they certainly would not have been met without His direction.

I am so glad God took my goals and made them His.  I might not be everything I thought I was going to be.  But I live in assurance that God has allowed me to meet every goal.

Do you know you're a Duck?

So having the homestead has afforded us many opportunities, one of which is rescuing three hens, a rooster, and duck from a local business.  They had been dropped off to fend for themselves in the deep woods.  Now the actual rescue process is whole different blog for a different day - wow, what a story.  But today, I want to share a lesson I learned from our sweet little duck.

She came to us not knowing she was a duck.  She had grown up with these chickens and she acted like a chicken.  She tried to eat like a chicken, sleep like a chicken, take a dust bath like a chicken, even scratch with her web feet like a chicken.  She had no idea she was made for the water.  She didn't look for water.  She never sat longingly with a dreamy look in her eyes wishing for water.  She was just trying to be a chicken.  Yet, you could tell she was frustrated.  She couldn't really be a chicken.

Our goal was to make her realize she was a duck.  It was a slow process.  It was a gradual introduction to water.  First, we just made puddles in the yard for her to find.  She would find them and while the chickens would stand on the edge and just take a sips.  She found she could wade right into the middle and enjoy the puddle.  She would drink the water and splash it in the air.  This led us to making her a small "pond" out of a shallow feeding trough.  Once she found the trough she spent two weeks just circling it.  She never attempted to get in.  She enjoyed playing, drinking, and splashing from the outside.  And then it happened.  Yesterday morning as I opened the barn doors, she ran from the barn and jumped all in into the "pond".  She was amazed.  She realized she was a duck.  She was made for the water.  She spent the next hour splashing, dunking and floating in her "pond".   She is now so content.  So, ready to be a duck.  Now she is the only duck in our chicken world.  But she is an awesome duck.  And she loves the water!!!!

Ok, so do you see it!  The sermon just waiting to seen.

When spend so much of our time trying to fit into a world that we were not created for.  We try to fit in and be like those around us, knowing the entire time that something is not right.  Once we get a taste of the Living Water (Jesus), we just keep going back for more.  Until finally we love the Water so much, we just jump in.  We submerge ourselves in the Living Water.  We fill ourselves with Him.  We can't get enough of Him.  We want to swim in Him, play in Him, rest in Him, float in Him, and cleanse ourselves in Him.   We want the Water to be our reason for living.  Go back and read our ducks story again this time thinking about yourself and how you feel about the Living Water (Jesus).

I am so happy that I found out I am duck!  Jesus the Living Water has made a huge difference in my life.  He longs to be your hope and fulfillment too. All you have to do is jump in!  Trust me the Water is great!

When a goat won't be a goat. . .

We have a goat - her name is Charlotte Goat #1 (long story).  She has become very dear to us.  And perhaps we have babied her too much.  She came to us to be a supply of milk.  Well just like all mammals, she must first have a baby to produce milk.  This process has proven quite tricky.  After coming to us "with goat", and miscarrying.  Our only option was to find her a companion.  Jehoshaphat Goat #2 came to live on the homestead.  Charlotte was ticked, what was an old goat doing in her pen.  She had no idea she was a goat!  Well here we are two months later and still no baby in process.  Charlotte is completely put out at the idea of living with an old goat.  Jehoshaphat is tired of Charlotte not wanting to be a goat (if you know what I mean).  So, here we are . . . still no milk, but a couple of hilarious old goats.

Did you ever think that maybe we loose perspective of who we are?  God intended us to be a working part of the body of Christ, producing lots of fruit.  Yet somehow, we got it all of whack.  We spend our days scuffling with the very people we were intended to produce fruit with.  And here we are inside the four walls of our church chasing each other; mad because the other is not acting like we think they should.   So busy trying to be something we were not intended to be that no fruit is ever produced.  What would happen if each of us let God take control and we became the part of the body of Christ He intended us to be?  We would have so much fruit, the walls could hold them.  Wait isn't that how it is supposed be . . .

Ministry Opportunities that are Kid Friendly

After coming out of the Christmas Season. I am sure we all have ideas on how we can allow our kids to have ministry opportunities that are right for their age and maturity level.

Here is one of mine - that I have been asked to share - my kids are all upper elementary

We continually keep "kits" in our car to pass to the homeless we see on the streets.

• Each kits is either a freezer (freezer bags are more durable) gallon zip bag or a zipper lunch bag usually from the clearance section.
• We fill each bag with nonperishable food - ex. sandwich crackers, tuna salad kits, apple sauce, chips, pop-tarts, nuts, granola bars, water, juice
• Make sure that nothing requires water or heat to be consumed.
• Make sure that all items can be opened without an extra tool.
• We also put personnel items in the bags - ex. travel soaps and shampoos, toothbrushes, tissues, hand sanitizer, and in winter months gloves, hats, hand warmers
• You can also purchase $.50 copies of the Bible at area Christian book stores that we have been known to include.

We have made large runs where we pass out many at a time. But usually we just keep a box of these in our car and my kids will always spot a homeless person that we can pass one along to.

This is great opportunity for my family, because as a homeschool family we are on the road a lot. This is a great way for my kids to be proactive in finding people to help. I like that we spend time as a family preparing them at home. I have also found that my kids hit the clearance section in most stores to see what items we can find for our "kits". It has been neat to watch them show compassion at their age. It is a safe way for my kids to minister in our community.

What ideas do you have?

Please post a comment :)