Binoculars

As we are on a diving board (see yesterday's post), assessing our life situation, getting ready for our next move, we are looking through binoculars, binoculars that symbolize a FUTURE FOCUS.

We're not just thinking about the next moment.  We're not driven by temporary feelings or emotions that waver from day to day.  We consider a longer view.

Because of Jesus, we always know that our future is longer than our past.  Because of Jesus, we know that God has good plans for us.  Because of Jesus we don't need to get caught up in regret or fear.  We can look forward with confidence.

My prayer today is that we will so trust God's promises and God's plans that we will eagerly seek His plans for our future and walk this one day, one moment, one step, with God's gift of a blessed tomorrow in view.

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Last week at LQ we spent time considering (and praying!) about "visions" and "goals."   What could be?  What should be?  What's the ideal?  Where do you and I believe God wants me and us to be in life?

To this end, we looked ahead, as through binoculars, into the future.

To this end:

• We considered dreams and visions of a good future, trusting God's good plans for us. 
• We looked at and wrote some goals for the life dimensions that we had considered in the "As Is" life assessment (see the "Diving Board" post).  Goals that are "S.A.M.M.," that is, Specific, Achievable, Measurable and Motivating.  (This was one of the points where the Lord called me to pray... because I want to have goals that are HIS goals and that can be achieved in HIS STRENGTH ALONE!  I don't want to be limited by my puny vision or my fragile strength.)
• We imagined ourselves having an LQ reunion in 2020 and wrote and read aloud a "7 Year Letter" answering questions like
  1. Where are you now?
  2. What has happened in the part 7 years in the "Life Dimensions": Walk with Christ, Family, Finances, Health, Career, Community, Education & Personal Development, Ministry and Hobbies?  (The same ones we had assessed in the "As Is" section.)
  And, imagining ourselves to be 7 years older (I'll be 64),
  3.  "What are your future dreams or ideas?" at that future time.
• We had fun considering our 100 Year Life Direction.  Being reminded that both science and the Bible speak of the maximum lifespan of human beings being about 120 years we started filling out a grid that had a little spot for each decade of our lives from age 10 through 110, again considering each life dimension.  We had fun with this because each of us was in a group for the week, and on the last evening we put on a little skit based on these long term directions for our lives.

All of this was done without planning for HOW it could be done.  The "HOW" would come in the next image "Blueprint."  (Again, stay tuned!)

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