“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
― C.S. Lewis
At the beginning of this spiritual journey I made a thought web of all the things I would be praying for. I’ve been circling around the need for forward advance in our pastoral care and prayer ministries for the last 10 days . Today at our department head meeting we were asked to move into groups of two and I just happened to get paired with our director of prayer ministries. A list of questions was handed to us from which we were to draw four. We got stuck on the first one which was “what do you plan to accomplish in the next 12 months.” But in the hour given us we were able to hammer out a vision for both ministries that I think will dove-tail beautifully. The meeting was unplanned by us but certainly planned and ordained in time by God. I love how He answers our prayer for guidance.
My take away from the day is that the work which lies ahead is going to take careful preparation in order to execute. I am not going to be able to waltz into God’s next level of ministry by accident. I am back to the words God gave me a year ago….SLOW- CONSTANT- INTENTIONAL!
“He who is best prepared can best serve his moment of inspiration.”
― Samuel Taylor Coleridge
“Unfortunately, there seems to be far more opportunity out there than ability…. We should remember that good fortune often happens when opportunity meets with preparation.”
― Thomas A. Edison
“Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character.”
― Alan Armstrong
Reinventing the We'll 
Thank you, Pastor J for your words of guidance. Lord, help me to be slow, constant, and intentional in my preparation for the next step you have intended for me. Let it be your agenda, Lord and not mine. A-men!
Amen God’s agenda and only God’s
I found a great pic on the web, to reflect this–if you want to see it, I’ll bring it for you. God bless you and the fam–love, sis Caddo
I would love to see it!
Okey doke, I’ll get on it!
Thanks a bunch!
Hey, Pastor J–turns out I can’t upload the pic to your comment section–at least, I don’t know how. If I post it on my blog, you could get it that way–it’s from morgueFile.com image site, category “Fog”. I’ll work on this a little later–hang in there with me.
Hey that’s Ok. Is it the picture in the top of your “Fog” post? If so I can just reblog the whole article.
God bless you as you prepare and move forward this year!
Thanks Deb!
I like the quotes. They are very applicable to all forms of ministry but also to our day to day lives. I feel the time I spend early morning “alone” with God is preparation for the day, and indeed, it is usually the case that if my ‘preparation’ is skimpy, so are my achivements for the day.
Our ‘preparation’ in the Word – our reading, studying, meditating on and memorising – equips us with answers for those we meet and we know Holy Spirit will bring them to memory as we need them.
Thanks for the reminder of the necessity of preparation.
“It is usually the case that if my ‘preparation’ is skimpy, so are my achivements for the day.” This is so true Angela. PRaying that God would help me to be rich in preparation every single day!