Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Alphabet Soup

If you're looking for the Wednesday Hodgepodge scroll on down to the next post. 

So here we are, Day 1 in the April A-Z Blog Challenge. If you don't know what I'm talking about, or you'd like to sign up too, visit the A-Z Challenge website using this link. 

I wrote all about my theme in yesterday's post, so if you need to know more you can read that here.  Essentially I've made it a group project and given 26 friends and family members a letter of the alphabet asking each one to send me back a word. I told them any word in the universe was fine, so I've received an interesting collection of a little bit of everything. Let's get going-

Day 1-A is for Achieve

A college friend I've known for 40 years sent me this word and I like it, because it's something I've been thinking a lot about lately. Did I tell you I have a birthday coming up? In five months? Ha! Well it's a big birthday so I'm allowed to talk about it.

Big birthdays are a good time for a bit of self-reflection. Not too much, but a glance back at where you've been, a look forward to what might lie ahead, and maybe a peek in the mirror as to where you are now, is not a bad exercise to engage in every once in a while.

I've been asking myself what it is I've achieved over the course of several decades of living? Am I satisfied with where I've landed and what I've accomplished or is there more to be done, and if so what? How?

It feels like there is great emphasis in today's world on finding our purpose and running head long into it. Make things happen! Change the world in a BIG way! Do all the things!

But what if achievement is measured in an entirely different manner?

I love what Oswald Chambers says about purpose. He says that what we see as the process of reaching a particular end, God sees as the goal itself. That God is not working toward a particular finish, but that His purpose is the process.

Time feels frozen in this strange season we're walking through, yet it marches on. Is remaining faithful and obedient no matter the chaos or serenity of my circumstances what I'm aiming to achieve?

Do I measure my achievements in all the seasons of my life against this standard?

7 comments:

  1. Clearly it's good to achieve things but sometimes it's enough to be an average person doing average things. We can't all be extraordinary but we're all special in our own way. Hopefully things will be better by the time your birthday arrives.

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  2. I had that big birthday this past June and never felt anything but proud of the life and state of my heath and well being at such a milestone. Achieve is a good word.

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  3. I like your thoughts on this Joyce. I need to stop trying to get to the end of everything and just learn and enjoy the process of getting there. I'm like that with my crafts and with reading. I'm trying so hard to finish, that sometimes I don't even like the process. Time to slow down and just enjoy where I am at any current moment. Thanks for the reminder.

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  4. Good thoughts for Achieve and the letter A. I'm a year off from another major birthday milestone. I'm off and running with the A to Z challenge. Hopefully I'll soldier on...

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  5. Getting there through faith and obedience on this journey called Life is what matters! As parents watching our children achieve their goals by what we have taught them is what makes us happy, though each child's achievements and goals are different and each walks at a different pace.
    I believe it is the same with our heavenly father.
    Thank you for sharing such beautiful thoughts.
    Blessings,
    Sue

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  6. This is a big start to your A-Z, Joyce. Thoughtful and insightful... but you always are!!

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  7. I knew I liked Oswald chambers for some reason. :) Great post.

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