In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

Proverbs 16:9

As I ponder my life and the events and circumstances I have lived through. I wonder if I have actually made any plans? I am not a dreamer, for the most part. I have never been one to set goals or to decide things too far into the future. I have the "normal" hopes for my future... A wonderful Godly husband, who is the Spiritual leader of our family. A moderate home and income. A vacation or two a year and possibly one in the Mediterranean someday. The most I dream for is a home on the water or a cottage on a lake. (I love the constant breeze that comes off of big water... it refreshes me). So... thinking on the verse above... what plans have I made for my life... how am I living out the gifts and talents God has blessed me with? How am I sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those around me? Are my plans lining up with God's desires for my life? What does God desire from me? It makes me think about the following verses:

Now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 NIV

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'There is no commandment greater than these."

Mark 12:28-31 NIV

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James 1:27 NIV

After meditating on those verses... what are the plans for my life? How am I loving God, loving others, serving God and serving others? How am I loving my neighbor... okay..., not the nice ones that are all smiles and friendly, not the friends that I have that are so easy to love... but how am I loving the "unlovable", the people that do not respond with kind words, the ones that cut me off in traffic, the disobedient kids in the store, the alcoholic that is begging for money to buy more outside the local Walgreens, the people that talk behind your back... when you have no idea what you did to offend them? Also, where do any of my plans lead in regards to looking after the orphans and the widows? I am not talking about an occasional visit to the little cute lady from church, not that she does not appreciate it, but how am I meeting her needs. While my heart has always been soft for orphan children or kids in the foster care system... I have done nothing to move forward in those areas. Someday... I say, someday when I get married, perhaps my husband will desire to do foster care or adopt. But I am talking about today... what am I going to do this week, this month, today??

How am I keeping myself from being polluted by the sinfulness of this world? Do I change what I watch on TV, do I stop buying magazines that are so focused on beautiful people and things? There are some things I do to protect myself, but then there are other things I do to step right into the path of our enemy, satan. Must be more mindful of what I do and why I do things.

So... very long post and no one will probably ever read it... but if you do read this. What are you doing in your life regarding the above verses? If you have any encouraging words to get a fire lit under me... please send them. It is so easy for me to have these thoughts, but not be changed by them... again another quote to end my thoughts:

Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and carry on as if nothing happened.