Live Your Life on Purpose (Ep.7)

Let’s talk about how life takes purposeful thought and of course courage, it always has, but it really does even more so today, for we live in a whole new time that is full of challenges. Therefore, be excited for God is calling us to a new season. There is no way we can be Superman or Wonder Woman, but we can strive to be the best we can be without feeling we have to over extend ourselves and by not doing so we can focus more on being mindful to take care of ourselves, get the proper rest and eat the right things and feed ourselves spiritually as much as we can, so yes we can be the best that we were meant to be to be able to fulfill God's calling upon our lives.  - Diana Hudgins

Transcript

Hello beautiful people. You have greatly blessed me by choosing to be here. Let’s talk about how life takes purposeful thought and of course courage, it always has, but it really does even more so today, for we live in a whole new time that is full of challenges. Therefore, be excited for God is calling us to a new season. There is no way we can be Superman or Wonder Woman, but we can strive to be the best we can be without feeling we have to over extend ourselves and by not doing so we can focus more on being mindful to take care of ourselves, get the proper rest and eat the right things and feed ourselves spiritually as much as we can, so yes we can be the best that we were meant to be to be able to fulfill God's calling upon our lives. 

God is calling us to reflect our full purpose and potential and implement those vital components in our lives. People who should embrace life, with joy and fulfillment and can be known by their acts of being faithful in each of the areas of their lives. People who understand this, realize that it involves discipline and self-sacrifice, and all of this can happen as we allow the Word of God to nurture us and the Spirit of God to take control of us and have His way in our lives.

God has already promised to complete the gracious work He has started in you (Philippians 1:6). So He is asking where are you men and women, boys and girls of courage? Today we celebrate you and encourage you to begin at this moment with a whole new outlook on life as a man, woman, a husband, wife, a mother, an uncle or aunt, a grandfather or grandmother, a son or a daughter, a friend, a leader, an encourager. Did you know that it doesn’t matter who you are or what your roles are, you make the chose to lead or follow. For those choosing to lead its exciting to see men and women, boys and girls of courage rising up! United we stand. 

Life is busy right? We can always find something to do. And since we live in such a microwave society everything needs to be done now. We begin living our lives feeling overwhelmed with what needs to be done or where we need to be now or later. We only have so much time right? So when do we find time for other things in life? You know the things that don't have a specific deadline, things that we feel may not be so pressing that we can put off, especially if someone else needs it? They can wait right? They will understand.

I've had a lot of things going on, its summer time and school is out and I have specific goals with an ending date that I wish to accomplish by. In the midst of all this constant busy and less and less sleep I find people need me. So some things have had to change. I recall this one time I was on top of a ladder and of course my phone rings. Because I am in the middle of an interior renovation I chose not to wear make up that day and wear clothing that already has paint stains in it. I am covered in paint and sweat and my door bell rings. I am scrapping popcorn ceilings smooth and its the worse mess there is in the world. Not only is it a mess to my house, its in my hair and on my face when a text message comes in or someone is Facebook messaging me. When did I become so popular and why?

Well this is when you have to be careful what you ask for and I say this jokingly. We have to remember that our life is God's timing not our own. It was probably two or three months ago when I was bored and not so busy and I asked God to use me more in His plans and so in the midst of all my busy He decided the time was now. So, as I am on top of this ladder God said to me "Are you going to be a Martha or a Mary? Because I am here right now and I need you to be available for this person.” I often think of this story because my mother would want to have people over but she felt like many of us have felt that maybe we didn’t have the nicest of things to have them into her home as they may have been accustom too. What happens with this mindset is we then hold back and usually never follow God’s calling because we feel we are not good enough, don’t have things nice enough so someone else can do it. I finally had to change the way I thought and just jump by simply begin inviting people into my home. I must share with you that every time there has been someone who has said has complimented our beautiful home, someone has said that our home is so loving and they always feel such a peace here and they say how much they love our home and being here with us. I would have missed all that God had planned for us had I continued to say no and not realize that it was more than enough. 

In case you are not familiar with the story of Mary and Martha here is a brief summary. Jesus Christ and His disciples stopped at the house of Martha and Mary. Of course if Jesus was coming to your house you would probably want everything to be perfect and impressive and at its best. Honestly I would!  But what is important to Jesus is that He has your attention, your time. He's concerned about the time you give Him.Jesus has always been more interested in relationship and for us to be spending time with Him. Mary was being mindful of Jesus’s presence. She  sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to His words. Martha, meanwhile, was distracted with preparing and serving the meal for the group. Frustrated Martha scolded Jesus, asking Him whether He cared that her sister had left her to fix the meal alone. She told Jesus to order Mary to help her with the preparations. "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed,--or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her."  Luke 10: 41-42. 

Good works should flow from a Christ-Centered life; not the other way around, they do not produce a Christ-centered life. When we are mindful of Christ we give Jesus the attention He deserves, He empowers us to serve others. So in this world that we live in, when He calls us to do His works it is in various forms, most especially when someone needs us. So not only do we need to spend time with the Lord, we need to be prepared to answer the call of serving Him at any moment.

What I also know is that He may call us to specific people, specific purposes and for a specific plan. We may only be the seed planter which He will then have others forms and other people He will use to further this effort or cause. He will not call you to every person but, He may use you to help guide many of them to the person who can further help.  You must answer the call of what He has called you to do. He will make this clear to you the closer you maintain your relationship with Him. This is where studying His Word and discernment comes into our lives. He shows us what we are to do and what we are not to do.

Many things can wait, can be put off for another time, another day. This is what I have been doing a lot of lately. The things I am busy with won't matter in Heaven. Its the work of the Kingdom that does matter. When that phone rings, that text message comes in, that door bell rings, etc. and I wonder if I really have the time, I hear Him say "Are you going to be a Martha or a Mary?  Because here I am again needing you to be available unto Me."

One thing I have learned is even when I think I have my day planned God can totally change it. Therefore, I must be prepared for the unexpected He expects of me! Something God has been explaining to me lately is even though I can't "always" explain the ministry He has given me and why He has given it to me, I do understand it and feel called to it. That's all that really matters. He makes the path for me, He clears the way, He presents the opportunities and I follow, no questions asked.

I really want to talk to you today about mindfulness. First we need to understand what mindfulness means. According to the Greater Good through Berkley University mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and our surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens. Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. This allows us to cut ourselves some slack. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we’re sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future. We tend to think we have to always make sense of everything by following some specific story line.  

Mindfulness is about becoming more aware of where you are and what you’re doing, without becoming overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around you. How do our minds keep up with all that is going on? It’s really too much. It is. Sometimes we simply need to check out from some things in life for a while, even specific people. Sometimes we need to clean house on our lives. We need time to think, pray and sit still and listen to God. Its a form of self care and it is needed.To be mindful means to be observant to what is happening in the mind, body, and your environment and to allow your thought process to stay there. It is being helpful to others around you and observant to how you can help them, what you see in this moment that that person may need. Or even thinking ahead of how helpful you may be to someone who could use your help, you kindness, your thoughtfulness. 

Remember you do not always need to be doing something. You don’t always have to have something like the tv or radio on, you don’t always have to be picking up your phone. You need to be still with the Lord for a while. It is something like meditation practices that develop an increased awareness of thoughts, sensations, and feelings. Adding to this quality it has increased kindness and passion, mindfulness improves our capacity to cope by identifying the options available to us. We don’t feel caught off guard so much when something does arise. And you can see how mindfulness leads to greater wellbeing and mental clarity, and an increased ability to care for both yourself and others.Being mindful in our tasks, at our jobs, it helps make us better at what we do verses being stressed out and tired. 

God knew exactly what he was doing when he commanded us to be kind and loving. Mindfulness has so many benefits for our health, our emotional and mental well being. Peace and having a calmness to my being comes to mind.  

And just think how much more better our world would be if we all decided to make mindfulness a priority in our lives. You cannot control what other people do but you can make the choice for you and it will be noticed and possibly help someone else do the same. I can almost bet on it.

Our world needs us to be more mindful in all things to all people. The mindful people will most definitely stand out among those who are not. They will far succeed more than those who are not so. Being mindful in the care of yourself, being mindful in how you take care of what you have, being mindful in how you speak, how you act, how you react, being mindful in your choices. 

Mindfulness must be intentional, you must begin with effort before it becomes a habit. Be patient with yourself. They say it takes 21 days for you to establish a habit. Then the habit becomes part of who you are. Mindfulness is thoughtfulness, you begin by being kind to yourself.  Have you been wanting a life style change? Here it is. It is being mindful in all things. Even when speaking being mindful with the same words the tone of your voice makes all the difference to the response you may receive. Being mindful sets the first impression you make with someone and being mindful determines just how long and deep that relationship may last. Being mindful cannot only change you but it can change someone else. Until next time…. Will you be a Martha or a Mary? Place being mindful at the forefront of your mindset, be intentional with your mindfulness and be the change you want to see in this world.  -Diana Hudgins