$$$ - Cost of Full Commitment

Is there a cost to be fully committed?  Yes.  Do I really have to pay a price for full commitment?  Yes.  Okay, let's consider what full commitment costs.  Being fully committed to truth, his earthly father, the lessons he learned about God, and his dreams cost Joseph being sold by his brothers into slavery .... imprisoned for something he never did ... false accusations ... loneliness ... growing into manhood apart from his family ... and so much more.  A costly price to pay, right?  Ultimately, truth and justice prevailed, though not before Joseph paid the high cost for being fully committed.

Today, what's the cost to us for full commitment?  Loving one another as Jesus did.  Making no excuses.  Putting first things first, setting priorities.  Living a disciplined lifestyle.  Giving our best, nothing less.  Walking by faith and not by sight. Trusting in the Lord with all our heart.  Praying without ceasing.  And more . . .

No matter the cost, make the choice to be fully committed to the Lord your God in all things, at all times, in all ways, with all your heart (see 1 Kings 8:61).  Today, what price will you pay?

What Does FULLY COMMITTED Look Like?

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen

those whose hearts are FULLY COMMITTED to him.

1 Chronicles 16:9

What does being fully committed to something or someone look like?  I'm fully committed to earning the paycheck that I get from my job every two weeks.  Therefore, I show up to work regularly, consistently, work 8-10 hours a day, try to do what's asked and expected of me, seek to do my job well, be loyal to my employer, etc.  I'm fully committed to living in my home.  So I make the mortgage payment monthly, on time, and in full, year after year.  I'm fully committed to taking care of my body, actually I'm kind of committed, more like partly committed.  So I purchase a gym membership, and pay to have a trainer work with me three times a week.  Without too much resistance or outright refusal on my part, I pretty much do what he asks of me.  Most times, I stay with an exercise even when it burns and hurts because he encourages me.  He pushes me.  He tells me I can do it.

So what does being fully committed to God look like?  Does it look like Daniel when he chose to be fully committed to praying three times a day to the True and Living God only.  For Daniel, his choice meant being thrown into a den of lions.  Given Daniel's choices, would you lessen your commitment, or walk away from it completely?  Would you choose partial commitment like praying to God when no one was looking, or not praying in public "in the name of Jesus?" Would you choose not to attend called prayer meetings because it requires going to church either earlier or another day?

God does for us so much more than my trainer does for me.  He reminds us that we can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us (see Philippians 4:13).  He supports us in knowing that with Him, nothing is impossible or too hard (see Luke 1:37, Jeremiah 32:27).  God promises to strengthen, fully support, show himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are FULLY COMMITTED to Him.  Are you FULLY COMMITTED?

Committed or Fully Committed

Being committed or being fully committed -- is there a difference between the two?  I've come to realize that I am committed to a lot of things and in a lot of areas, but apparently, I am not fully committed to a lot of those things. This probably holds true for you as well.  We make commitments and then not be fully committed to honoring them.   First of this year, I made a commitment to being in bed ready for sleep no later than 10:30. While I'd like to say that I'm about 50% there, in actuality I'm missing the commitment more than I am making it.  I have a commitment to healthy eating wherein I might be 70% there.  I have a commitment to the scriptural command to pray without ceasing.  Am I committed or fully committed to this command?  Even my three times a day commitment to prayer is a more occasional than full commitment. Maybe these are just my issues, unlike with you.

I expect God to be fully committed to me.  Should He not expect me to reciprocate?  We are reminded through Solomon's prayer (see 1 Kings 8:61) that our hearts must be fully committed to the Lord, to live by His decrees and obey His commands.  Fully committed is also expressed in some translations as wholly devoted, perfect, wholly true, blameless, loyal. God's promises are so needed in our lives, and too good for us to want anything less.  Will you challenge me as I challenge you to move past being committed to being fully committed (see 2 Chronicles 16:9)?

What does a heart fully committed to God look like? How is a  fully committed heart expressed?  Through thoughts?  Through words? Through actions?  Through deeds? Praying without ceasing or three times a day ... healthy eating ... adequate sleep ... and the list goes on. Which will it be -- committed or fully committed?

How Committed

How committed are you to the things of God -- obedience to His commands ... study of the Word ... prayer ... Sunday worship service ... midweek Bible Study ... giving ... service ... your job ... your family ... timeliness ... et al?

 

On a scale of 1-10, 10 high, rate your level of commitment in each of these areas?  By all means, be honest with yourself.  God is watching you.  He knows you, He knows your heart, your every thought, all of your deeds, even your hidden secrets.  Review your ratings.  Also remember, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (see Romans 8:1).  So, don't go there.  God never intends that our honesty be condemning. 

Choose one of the areas to be more fully committed to.  What will you do differently?  For me, I am almost always at church and bible study. However, I am not always on time.  So I'm having to reconsider what being on time means -- is it being in the parking lot?  In the building?  At my desk? In my seat? On time?  Before time? I'm having to also consider why I am late.  What's the root cause?  Is it procrastination?  I used to be on time, actually early.  Why did I change? Why, in this area, am I moving away from God rather than closer to Him?   So I'm asking forgiveness and choosing to honor God by being on time.  I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).  So can you with your commitments.

What Makes Your Heart Sing, part 2

What makes your heart sing?  Since raising this question with other women over the past few weeks, I stand in awe as so many have shared their wonderfully varied responses to the question.  A few of them are shared here.

"Being a part of the success of the young people that I teach and tutor at my church ... tranquility in my family ... watching God working in the life of my husband ... nature, love for fishing, teaching other women how to fish, experiencing nature, God's creation ... making a difference in the life of others, giving a hug, sharing the Word that encourages ... three year old grandbaby ... knowing that God has my back ... knowing that God knew me before I was formed, yet He still allowed me to BE ... knowing that God loves me ... seeing my kids smile ... knowing that I'm not alone ... knowing that God does not slumber nor sleep, and all that concerns me, HE GOT IT ... how 2 Timothy 1:7 changed me from being very fearful and always thinking negative to a mind of peace ... knowing that I can do something in each day to show God working in my life ...  Psalm 91 protection ... time spent fishing with my mother" ... and the list goes on.

What makes your heart sing?  What thoughts, experiences, situations, circumstances, people, biblical stories and/or scriptures make your heart sing?  Please share.  Would love to hear from you.  Leave a comment here.  #riseat5  #goahead 

You Are Somebody Special

A long time ago (remember these words), I was asked to speak to a graduating class of pregnant girls from Birmingham City Schools.  My first thoughts (unfortunately) were pregnant girls, fast girls, illegitimate babies, sexual promiscuity, bad girls.  Even though I had accepted the invitation, my big question was ... what do I say to them?  Fortunately, I slowed my wild and run away thinking down long enough to hear the voice of the Lord give me the message topic.  You may have already figured it out.  It was You  Are Somebody Special! And indeed, they were.

Read the following words, speak the words aloud, think about what you're saying -- I Am Somebody Special.  Repeat the words and know that you are.  Yes, You Are Somebody Special.  Guess who said so?  God says that you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).  He says that you are more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37).  The Lord says you triumph in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 2:14).  Almighty God says that you are the head and not the tail, you're above and not beneath, you're the lender and not the borrower (Deuteronomy 28:12-13).  He adds that you can do all things through Christ (Philippians 4:13).

It really doesn't matter what you see, hear, think, or feel about yourself, where you've been, or what you've done.  ALL that matters is what the Word of the Lord says.  You Are Somebody Special!!!

What Makes Your Heart Sing

Today on Rise@5, our early morning Bible Study, the teacher raised a similar question, what brings you peace?  We were asked to write our thoughts during a two minute timed interval.  I did and continued to write long after the call was completed.  I wrote a page full of things that both bring me peace and make my heart sing. 

 

My list in part -- the Word, speaking, reading, meditating ... quietness, peaceful solitude, soft instrumental music ... books, a good book ... lights especially night lights that seem to flicker, as seen from my bedroom view of the city ... flowers on my deck, in my yard, throughout my home, in my office, wherever ... sitting in front of my fireplace watching the flames as the burning (gas) logs seem to snap, crackle, and pop ... water whether in a pond, lake, river, ocean, observed from the deck of a cruise ship or riding the river in a friend's pontoon, in San Francisco sitting on the dock of the bay ... observing the sunset standing on a rocky crag overlooking the Pacific ocean in Lima, Peru; this gigantic ball of yellow gold appeared to be settling into the water as far as I could see both to my left and right ... the squirrel(s) that comes early morning to look for hidden nuts in the flower pots on my deck ... my computer screen with daily changing nature scenes ... projects and assignments that unfold as planned ... revelation and answers from God to the issues of life ... children ... an ongoing list ... .

What brings you peace?  What makes your heart sing, what people, thoughts, stories, memories?

A BIG GAP

Have you ever considered how the Scriptures are filled with many, many great and precious promises?  Peter writes how we have been given everything we need for life and godliness (see 2 Peter 1:3).  Have you further considered how, oftentimes, there is a BIG GAP between your prayer for the promise and the realization of the promise in your life? Remember how David was anointed king many years before becoming king. Remember how King Saul spent years trying to kill David amid the fact that God had promised the kingdom to David.  Remember God's promise to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and much later to Moses that the land would be given to them.  They never received the promise.  God also never gave the land to the people, they had to fight for it.  In all of these situations, there was a BIG GAP between the promise and the fulfillment.

 

Even so today, life has not changed for us.  There is likely a BIG GAP between your prayer and the answer, the facts of the matter and the truth of God's Word, your confession and its fulfillment, God's yes and your amen.  Since the beginning of this year, one of my confessions has been Ephesians 3:20 where God promises to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or imagine.  Recently, I was told by my insurance company that my car was being totaled.  They would pay $8,000 less than was owed on the car. Reminded God of His promises to me.  Very quickly found out that gap insurance which I didn't know I had would cover the difference.  Went to the dealership same day to get another car.  Completed a deal where I got a new car paying $100 per month less in a three year lease than I was previously paying in a four year lease.  Yes, there was a BIG GAP between my confession and its fulfillment.  Thank you Father for the fulfilled promise.  Thank you Jesus for the BIG GAP.

But God

On this past Monday, I had a but God experience. If you're thinking, so what's a but God experience.  It's when something happens in a situation or circumstance that is normally impossible, out of the ordinary, highly unlikely in the natural scheme of things.  It's when God intervenes to alter the natural order of things.  It's when you experience what you absolutely know to be a miracle. It's mind boggling.  For me, it was all of the above and life-saving.

In the morning after the gym and breakfast and a two mile walk in the park, I was in the car on the way from downtown to get the car washed. Traveling south on 20th Street, I began to feel sleepy, very sleepy.  Let the window down, and confessed I'm awake and alert.  The next thing I heard was this loud crash, saw a concrete wall up close, and white airbags deployed, all in one split second. Oh my God, I've crashed into a wall. The impact knocked the car back into one lane of northbound traffic. Put the car in park, turned off the ignition, picked up my phone from the floor, grabbed my purse, and got out.  Heard a woman's voice asking if I were okay?  Strangely unshaken and questioning what just happened, I responded, yes I'm fine.  And I was.

What happened, I was thinking then just as you probably are now?  I went to sleep, foot on accelerator, car traveled across three lanes, two of them oncoming traffic, hit a concrete retaining wall, and was pushed back into one lane of oncoming traffic.  But God, I hit no other car, no other car hit me.  But God, the passenger side of the car hit the wall sustaining major damage from the impact.  But God, I sustained NO injuries. 

The following day God reminded me of how His Word never returns void or empty, and accomplishes the purpose for which it was sent.  I remembered my daily prayer confession of Psalm 91 for the past 15+ years.  I am especially mindful of the last three verses personalized to me, Psalm 91:14-16 -- I will rescue her, protect her, be with her in trouble, deliver her, satisfy her with long life, and show her my salvation.  But God, THANK YOU!!!

 

Pause

Pause, a button on recording equipment and an action taken by humans, means a temporary stop, break, time to reconsider, to linger, breather, interruption, lull. As we learn from Ecclesiastes 3:1, there is a time for everything. So if there is a right time for pause, there must be a wrong time.  If there is a right way or a right place to pause, there would also be a wrong way and a wrong place.  Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 8: 5b that the wise heart knows the proper time and procedure for every matter. 

Remember when Moses paused to cry out at the Red Sea and was asked by the Lord why he was crying out to him.  His command was to go forward, to move on (see Exodus 14:15). As with Moses and the Israelites at the Red Sea, we sometimes find ourselves pausing, stopping, and taking a break at the wrong time.  Even when facing a formidable foe, a major obstacle or hurdle, or a mountain too high to climb, we are called to listen closely and carefully for the still small voice of the Lord telling us when to pause and when not to.

When the traffic signal changes to green for you, have you taken a pause which kept you from being broadsided by the driver speeding through a red signal?  Have you paused or hesitated before responding in a conversation, and that pause kept you from saying the wrong thing?  On the other hand, has a pause or too long a stop caused you to miss a God ordained opportunity?  Holy Spirit leads you to pray for another, and your pause, your wait keeps you from making the call?  A pause as simple as hitting the snooze button when the alarm goes off causes you to be late for work, miss a meeting, get caught up in the traffic rush, make your child late for an important test in first class, be late for church and miss a move of the Holy Spirit who showed up at the appointed time? 

Selah – pause, stop and think about it!  I pray for hearts of wisdom to know the proper time to pause and the proper time not to pause.

Lord Prepare Me

Lord prepare me.  For what, you may be thinking?  Consider this season when we remember Judas' betrayal of Jesus, the unjust trials that followed, Peter's denials, the 39 stripes, the cross and His crucifixion, His preparation for burial, and the resurrection.  What trial, what temptation, what difficulty, what are you now experiencing that you need to be delivered from?  Is there an area in your life that for all practical purposes is dying, if not already dead?  Have you been unjustly accused?  Is there one that you have poured your best into that is now denying or turning away from all that you have given?  Are you transitioning from a place of comfort to a place of the unknown?  Is there a dead relationship that needs to be resurrected? 

Are you ready to say and see what Paul wrote to the church in Corinth that "the old has gone, the new has come" (see 2 Corinthians 5:17)? Is it time for your prayer to be Lord prepare me for the new that is coming?  At times when either I am entangled in a bunch of deadly emotions, have spoken foolishly or acted/reacted really stupidly, I've found myself praying repeatedly words written long ago by then King David.  They have become an integral part of my follow-up to Lord prepare me.  "Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10).

May Jesus' resurrection remind us all that the darkest hour is just before the dawning of a new day.  Because He lives, we can live an abundant life.  Because He forgave from the cross those who crucified Him, we have been enabled to forgive no matter what the situation or circumstance.  Lord prepare me for my new day and my fresh start, for an abundant life, to forgive others so that you can forgive me.  Lord prepare me to love others just as you have loved me.

Lord Have Mercy

As a child growing up in the home of my grandmother, I remember three words that she spoke when she heard of catastrophic events, untimely death, storm damage, sickness and disease, hospitalizations, wrecks and other accidents, arrests and jail or prison time, marital problems, church fights and splits, and the like.  Sometimes with her head down, body bowed over, her left hand rubbing her forehead, sometimes needing to sit down if the news came while she was standing, wiping her hands furiously on the apron she always wore at home, she muttered three words -- Lord have mercy.  I didn't realize she was praying. I just thought she was saying something.  I came to realize that she was at a loss for words, so she almost always said the same ones -- Lord have mercy.

I have now learned that the three words are an often prayed prayer in the Bible. David, the man after God's own heart (see Acts 13:22), prayed these three words probably more than any other person in the Bible. David wrote what we know as Psalm 51 when the prophet Nathan came to him after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband, Uriah, killed. The opening statement in that psalm is "have mercy on me, O God." Throughout the Psalms, David repeatedly speaks the three words -- Lord have mercy.

Oh, that we might be more like my grandmother and David.  When the issues of life are all around us and seem so overwhelming … when the news reports yell at us the atrocities that abound, not only in our neighborhoods but around the world … when as a nation, we defiantly shake our fists at God's laws and create our own to murder unborn babies and to affirm same sex marriage … when we neither know what to do or what to say or how to pray, these three words work all the time, every time -- Lord have mercy.

 

Expect the Unexpected (2)

Recently, I coordinated blood drive number 11 at church.  This one was on the heels of two blood drives a year for the previous five years.  In partnership with the American Red Cross, they would send staff for both an inside collection site and their mobile unit.  The drive day arrived -- beautiful, bright, sunshiny; started with more pre-sign-ups than ever before; tee shirts had been delivered early; Red Cross supply truck and workers arrived on schedule; volunteer workers arrived; everything was falling into place.  I expected to exceed our goal.

 One thing was missing, the mobile unit which was the second collection site.  This was unexpected to say the least ... a first time occurrence ... mechanical difficulties ... out of the ordinary ... unplanned for ... prayers for the unit to arrive went unanswered.  Why?  What to do?  Why this unexpected turn of events?  How to make the best of the situation?  Had I been expecting the plans to succeed my way or God's way? Would I trust God's ways when they were different from mine? Was my definition of success limiting or disregarding the Master Planner?  Did I really expect the unexpected?

 What happened?  Romans 8:28 happened.  A Red Cross staff team worked steadily and diligently to accommodate as many donors as possible.  While some prospects left, many waited patiently to become donors as committed.  Though we missed goal, the collected units were no less than had been previously collected on a couple occasions using two collection sites. 

Expect the unexpected.  Be ever mindful that God's promises never change.  "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."  (See Romans 8:28.)

 

Expect the Unexpected

As a part of a recent 21 day fast, I believed God for a number of things which generally included honoring Him by offering my body as a living sacrifice (see Romans 12:1) and by doing more of His commands presented in the fasting chapter (see Isaiah 58).  On this journey of believing and expecting God to move mightily, I received an unexpected blessing.  An avid coffee drinker of 3-4 cups per day, decaf if available, regular if not. It didn't really matter.  I thought I was okay in the liquids area since I only drank water, coffee and tea.  It was the food intake that I needed to pay much more attention to.

Well, guess what.  On the seventh day of the fast, my regular routine changed.  At work, I went into the refreshment center to get this first cup of coffee for the day.  I could smell it brewing, could feel the warmth trickling down my throat, could relish and savor the sweetness from the one Splenda packet.  What I so expected, I didn't get.  I got the most unexpected something, can't even think of a good word to describe it.  So, surprise has to do.  Surprisingly, I did not want the coffee, so much so that I didn't even make the cup.  What did I do?  I turned and walked away.  Didn't know what to think, so I didn't.  About the time that normal routine would have me go back to the refreshment center for a second cup, I did just that. Then the light came on -- my desire for coffee had been lifted.   The unexpected in the form of a wonderful blessing had happened.  God had moved on my behalf unexpectedly.  A decades old desire, that I neither asked for nor expected nor felt the need to be set free from, was taken away.

Thank you God for reminding me that I should more often expect from You the unexpected.  Thank you Father for helping me to remember my memory scripture from that fast period taken from Ephesians 3:20-21 -- Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Why Bother?

Why bother?  What's the use?  Is that for you a fairly common questioning thought?  When do your questions like these occur?  Why bother God?  Why bother Jesus?   Why bother to pray?  Why bother to read the Scriptures?  Why bother to seek the Holy Spirit? 

 Could it have been when the pain in your body was so severe ... discomfort so overwhelming ... loss so devastating ... grief so overbearing ... debt so immense ... relationship so out of harmony ... actions so foolish ... words so spiteful?  And you thought, why bother?  Why bother to pray?  Will anything make a difference?  Can I really get out of this place?  I can't fix this?  This is an impossible situation.  Why bother Jesus?

 When Jesus and three of his disciples were going with Jairus to heal his 12 year old daughter who was critically ill, some men came to inform Jairus that his daughter had died.  They raised the why bother question.  (See Mark 5:35.)  Just as Jesus ignored their why bother question, He's ready to ignore yours as well. Rest assured that Jesus wants to be bothered by you now!

Checkmate

In the game of chess, checkmate means to check an opponent's king so that escape is impossible. The game is over, the opponent loses.  In the living of life, the devil sometimes screams in our ears repeatedly checkmate ... it's over ... you've lost ... that door is closed permanently ... knocked out ... down and you'll never get up ... that sickness will take you out ... you can't get out ... you'll never find a job... your child is forever hooked on drugs ... you'll never find a mate ... .

Thank God for Jesus.  When you've lost your job, the enemy screams checkmate -- nobody's hiring.  Jesus promises to supply your every need.  When a loved one has been killed, brutally murdered, satan yells checkmate -- you might as well die too.  Jesus says my peace I give, my peace I leave with you.  When the doctor reports there's nothing else that can be done, the thief's almost deafening roar is checkmate ... it's over for you.  Jesus reveals himself as the Great Physician who can heal and restore the very body parts He created. 

Checkmate is a trick of the thief who comes only to steal, kill and destroy.  One of the many great and precious promises to us from Jesus is that He came that we might have life and that life more abundantly.  (See John 10:10.)   Be ever mindful that chess is a game, life is not.

How Are You?

How are you? How you doing? How you feeling? How's it going? How many times a day are you asked questions like these in some form?  How many times a day do you ask one of these or a similar question to others? What's your typical response?  What is theirs?  Currently, my usual responses are great and wonderful, very good, really good, just great.  I hear blessed, grateful, blessed and highly favored, excited, alright, okay, not so good, have been better, tired, sick and tired, little frustrated, kinda down, little disappointed, seen better days, supernaturally, doing good, real well,  kind of scared, a little bit worried, not feeling so good, et.al. 

I can imagine that you respond, as I do, to one of these questions several times a day, whether in person or over the phone.  Consider the declaration that you're making.  Since the tongue has power of life and death (see Proverbs 18:21), to which do your daily, repetitive responses speak?   You're only saying two or three words, do they really have that much impact?  Can/will they really make a difference in your life?  How important is this small talk in the greater scheme of life and living?  

Are your responses positive or negative confessions?  I would encourage you to make the choice to change all negative confessions to positive ones. Even when the facts don't line up, speak positively, speak the truth.  Your words are self-fulfilling prophecies.  Change your words, change your life.  Start with those daily, repetitive responses.

 

Falling Short

During a recent fasting experience, I made a commitment to God to increase my prayer time. One strategy was to set the alarm on the phone for a middle of the day time, go into the prayer chapel (at church where I work) and pray for at least 15 minutes. The first 2-3 days went as planned. In the days ahead, I missed appointments more than I kept them. I started to forget to set the alarm. Recognizing that I was falling short, I asked God for forgiveness and got back on track. How I wish that was the end of the story. No, again I got back off track. All I wanted to do was to keep a prayer appointment in the middle of the day. I experienced feelings of frustration ... disappointment ... anger with myself ... questions of why ... thoughts of how will I explain my shortcomings to my fast partners whom I was teaching and encouraging, and what will they think of me. 

 

Reminding my fast partners that "there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (see Romans 8:1) served as a reminder to me. Slowly, I began to realize that God never once reminded me that I had fallen short or that I had missed the mark. He never expressed frustration with me, not once did He indicate disappointment with me. He never beat me over the head or led me to be anxious and fretful. God the Holy Spirit was in me and with me as my Encourager, my Strength, my Helper, my Peace. God was right there all along, honoring and blessing my areas of faithfulness, willingness and obedience. 

Question to you -- how do you respond when you realize that you're falling short? More important question -- how does God respond when you fall short?
 

 


 

 

Excuses

I ended 2015 and began the new year of 2016 with a strong sense of being more consistent in writing and posting these blogs; e.g., weekly postings without fail.  I expected to return to that place of excitement, enthusiasm, commitment and follow through when I started the blogs in August, 2012. I have now missed weeks one and 2, now into week three.  I will start, no more excuses.

Have you made new year's resolutions, commitments, plans and have already missed the mark as I have?  What are your thoughts about that?  How are you feeling about where you are?  Would you consider your responses excuses?  Probably yes! Are they good excuses ...  weak, poor, couldn't help it, had no choice, couldn't do any better, real reasons?

If Jesus were replying to me, what would He say? And of course, he answered by reminding me of the parable of the Great Banquet (see Luke 14:15-24) where different ones had been invited and were told  to come.  They all began to make excuses, to beg off.  Not one would enjoy the banquet, the blessing, the opportunity.  Surely there would be another opportunity.  Could the lost time be made up? What do you think?

For me -- God, I've started even though later than planned.  I fell short, I missed the mark, forgive me. I want to be faithful. I want to follow through with my plans, and resolutions, and commitments. Help me, enable me, empower me.  Thank you, Father!!!