One Month to Live

Good morning! No, I havent been literally given one month to live. :) It is the name of a series by Kerry & Chris Cook we are beginning tonight in our Fusion Group. I read some in our guide yesterday. And it got my attention so I thought I would share.

Your time on earth is limited.
"No matter how much this idea makes you squirm, its a fact. No matter WHO you are, how young or old, what measure of success you've attained, or where you live, mortality remains the great equalizer. With each tick of the clock, a moment of your life is behind you. Even as you read this paragragh, seconds passes that you can never regain. Your days are numbered and each one that passes is gone forever.

If you're like us, you may be tempted to view this reality as harsh and unwelcome, to let it overwhelm and even paralyze you. But thats not our purpose in writing this study series-just the opposite. Rather than inhibiting us to play it safe, we're convinced that enbracing our time on eath as a limited resource has incredible power to liberate us. For most of us, if we knew we only had one month to live, we would live our lives differently. We would be more authentic about who we are and more deliberate about how we spend the time we have. But such contrast begs the question: What keeps us from living this way NOW? We invite you to take the One Month to Live Challenge."

Above quotation from Kerry & Chris Shook

My life is so full. It just is. I am trying to learn and grow in God's word, trying to be everything my husband needs... he is precious and deserves so much more than I seem to be able to mustar up each day... (that is actually true for my husband and my Father God), 4 kids... wow.. I mean homework, sports, dance, baths and food, and trying to teach them the things of God, while also teaching them the things of the world... "dont ever try drugs..and this is why...." or answering questions like "mom, what is a lesbian?" So far this year my 2 oldest sons have bombarded me with questions...bullying,  racisim, sexuality, heaven , hell, puberty, politics, why people lie, what happens when we die, how mom's and dads can walk away from their children beause of drugs, if God is sitting in the clouds... you name it...we've just about been there in the last 12 month. They live in the world... they are not called to be OF IT. I want to lay their foundation  TIGHT in Jesus. This takes TIME. and if I had 30 days to live...wow. I can just imagine me. haha.. it really just made me LOL... I would be making videos and writing to them ... my head spins now as I type this... thinking of all the things I would want to teach them and make sure they knew.. not my point of view, but how Jesus sees it. Parents have such a HUGE job. And I feel like 90 % of mine lately is just spending time listening to their questions and doing me very best to point them in the right direction. That is the part of my life that I do find fullfilling. Training them up in the word and the things of God...because Gods word promises me that if I do that... then they WILL NOT depart from those truths all the days of their lives. NOW, that says to me that whether I live 30 days or 50 years.... that my babies are covered. Perfect? no. will they stray? probably. will they sin? absolutely. Will they be tempted to give up or turn their backs on God because they are hurt or offended? I certainly hope not...but if they do.. they know where to come... when they are broken or confused, I am certain with Logan and Brady Cole, at this point they have a foundation of where to take their brokeness.

If I had 30 days to live... I think I would give more. My time, my posessions. I would sleep less. I would immerse myself in the word. and spend every possible moment making sure my husband and my children knew how very special they are to me...and to their Father God, and dearly they are loved. I would listen more and speak less. I would pray over each of them every night and listen...not rush thru the process. I would try one more time to share the love of Jesus with my dad & with my sister Kelly. I would wrap my arms around each of my sisters and just love on them. They are so precious and I am so excited about where God is going to take Cindy & Victoria and the women of God He is raising. I would hug my father in law more. I constantly find myself pulling away from him. Im quite sure this is b/c of my "daddy issues". But despite his faults, and we all have them... he loves my children... he is a present person in their lives. I would forgive my mom 70x7, for the past and for every future hurt I have lived  in fear of.... and just leave it at the cross once and for all of eternity. I would give Phillip that wet, sloppy 5  second kiss every day, several times a day.. that he keeps harping on me about...that even as I type this... i just dont get why that has seemed like an imposition to me?? I would tell my friends.. and I am over the moon to say that list is more than I can count now, how very much they matter and what a difference they have made in my life. My "prayer warrior list" (...the people that I call on in time of need has gone from 2....to more than I can count in the last year!!! I have to stop before I ask for prayer now...and ask God "SHOW me which of my girls YOU desire to come along side me right now"!! wow!!)

Im sure theres more... but, thats what I would do. And as I typed a couple of those things.... well, all of them really but..if Im honest, a couple stung a little more than others........ I thought... WHY OH WHY...would I wait until I was given such a prognosis of 30 days?? What in the world am i thinking?? Forgive NOW, Love NOW, EMBRACE NOW. GIVE NOW. SERVE NOW. SHARE JESUS NOW. TODAY. What am I waiting on? Working in the medical field for more than 10 years, I know...we aren't all given a number...in fact very few of us are. One day we dont wake up. Its over. All those things..your list...goes undone. I have watched hundreds of people die. I wonder how many of them left this world with "what if I had done this? or "sure wish I had hugged that person one more time" I do think very few, probably none lay dying and wishing "sure woulda been nice to have worked one more day or made a little more money here". The things that last...are our relationships. And for some of us, those relationships are draining so we dont invest...our time or energy. We dont nurture those relationships at all, let alone deliberatley.

So Principle ONE of the One Month to Live series is to Live PASSIONATELY. How am I going to put that into action over the next week? To me Passion & surrrender go hand in hand. I am going to deliberatley SURRENDER myself to my Father every day and pray HE guide me in overcoming that big ole list.

So...here's praying my friend...that my life and YOURS is not only FULL of things to do and places to go... but that it is FULLFILLING. That the dash - between the year we were born and the year we go to be with Jesus represents love & surrender & JOY & sharing the love of Jesus with the world...starting with the people around you!. In the precious name of Jesus I Pray! Amen.

"Looks like tonight the sky is heavy ..feels like the winds are gonna change...
beneath my feet the earth is ready I know its time for Heavens rain..
Its gonna rain
Its LIVING WATER WE DESIRE
FLOOD OUR HEARTS WITH HOLY FIRE
RAIN DOWN
My heart is dry, but im still singing

My heart is heavy, feels like its time to DREAM AGAIN
I see the clouds outside and YES IM ready ..to dance upon this barren land."!
Its LIVING WATER I DESIRE
FATHER FLOOD MY HEART WITH HOLY FIRE."

What I worshipping to right now. and the cry of my heart. Jesus I need you.