Pursuing the Abundant Life

Some words have been running around my head lately. I keep thinking about the extremes of inertia and change, order and chaos, schedule and flexibility.

Last week I was at the Declare Conference, hearing about how God’s plan for each of us looks different. I love this conference because it is unique: it reminds us that we shouldn’t simply pursue “success” online, we must pursue God in all aspects of our lives.

Of course, pursuing God is the pursuit of excellence, because He is all that is excellent and wonderful. I want my life, all parts of it to reflect excellence and wonder, to bring glory to Him. I want to participate in the elevation of His Name…but the way I do the dishes and the laundry can do this, if my heart is in the right place.

I have been thinking and reading and hearing that I need to be happy with being humble, being small. Seeds are small, but seeds grow into tall, rustling trees. A grain of sand is small, but an accumulation of sand becomes a seashore, a bridge between the land and the waves. Life is built on the little things.

I want to do the little things better.

But sometimes things are out of your wheelhouse — like balance and moderation and stillness in the midst of busyness.

So along came the Enjoy Your Life ecourse, by my good friend Kayse Pratt. I just completed the course this week and God’s timing is so sweet. The ecourse could also be entitled “Permission to be Who You Are, Where You Are.” So I have been sifting through the details of life to discover what really matters.

My family and I have survived over a decade of difficulties. One hard season merged with the next. We wandered in a dry place, like Israelites. Life was hard and life was busy. We felt perpetually out of breath.

I kept thinking that the feeling of “overwhelm” and the feeling of “chaos” would subside when “life settled down.” But chaos can become a way of life, a familiar companion, and overwhelm likes to hover over both the good and the bad. So though life has settled a bit, these bad feelings have set up camp in my heart.

Our God is a God of order, not chaos (1 Cor 14:33). He is a good manager, working all things together for good (Romans 8:28). He is a planner and a maker. And we are made in His image, so when we dwell in disorder, find life unmanageable, make no plans and stop being creative…we feel the difference between us and Him.

Everywhere I look, I am reminded that Jesus died so we can have life and have it abundantly. And there it is again, in Kayse’s course. This Truth is so foundational to me now. I am utterly convinced that we must wholeheartedly pursue the abundant life that Jesus holds out to us. We have to reach out and grab hold of it, and that might mean learning to think and act in new ways.

Change is the bridge between where we have been and where we are going to be. I want to participate in the change that God is making in my life. And right now He is calling me to bring more order to my days.

I don’t like being overly busy. I want to manage all the opportunities, commitments and relationships that God has gifted me with, and do it in a way that glorifies Him. I have finally come to realize that learning to live differently is a process. Part of my process at this time has been the “Enjoy Your Life” course.

Kayse is opening enrollment on Monday August 10, but you can sign up here to be notified as soon as registration opens.  And if you sign up sooner, you get BIG discounts.  Monday looks like this:

• 12:01am – 5am PST: Only $7!
• 5:01am – 10am PST: Only $9!
• 10:01am – 3pm PST: Only $11!
• 3:01pm – 8pm PST: Only $13!
• 8:01 pm – 11:59pm PST: Only $15!

On Tuesday, the full price of $17.99 returns, which is still a great deal because, either way, you get:

• 10 days of brand new content, delivered right to your inbox each day.
• An exclusive course pack of printable worksheets to help you get your thoughts and plans on paper.
• Access to a private Facebook group where you can find others on the journey, share ideas, ask questions, and be encouraged.
• A beautiful printable for you to frame as a daily inspiration.

Yay! Please let me know if you decide to be a part of this course. I would love to hear about your journey!