Tag: investing

Invest in Beauty

Invest in something beautiful. It doesn’t have to be fancy but it does have to bring joy to your soul. It may be simple or it may be intricate. It may be old or it may be new. It may be striking or it may be humble. It may cost it may be free. Whatever the case, invest in it, make it your own.

Put it somewhere to remind you. Let it shine forth your own special light. Allow it to bring you gladness. To hold you up when you are feeling low. Beauty does this.

Make a way, figure it out, choose that one piece of beauty that reminds you that you are made for gladness. One of the first things we give over in difficulty is beauty, don’t do this. Reclaim beauty in some way.

When life is tough we need one special something that will gladden our eye and make its way to our heart. What might this be for you?

One day, you won’t need beauty in a thing for you will be making beauty once more.

WIth What We Have

It is easy to believe that to begin or continue or finish something we need something we do not have.

This is rarely the case.

I used to believe this. I used to think, and settle into procrastination, because we didn’t have what I thought we needed to move forward.

But one day I really felt compelled and convicted to just begin with what I had. To go forward with the present resources and giftings and vision.

It was the best thing I have ever learned.

No longer was I waiting, wishing, hoping. Rather, I was seeing all that I did have with fresh eyes. There were things we could lead forward with.

Today, at Capturing Courage this is one of the hallmarks of how we work. We do with what we have.

I learned that we, all of us, have more than we really know. We have more wisdom, more talents, more opportunities than we imagine.

I learned that going forward with what we have reaps good fruit. It doesn’t all have to be fancy or extravagant. Small and simple are often the very best ways to do something.

Doing with what we have also takes us out of procrastination and excuses. If you were to go forward with what you have, what might be the next thing you would do?

Seriously, what might that be?

Investing what we have, brings us to the place of having more. Once we’ve proven ourselves, and have been faithful in a little, we will be entrusted with more.

If you can invest your little you will end up with much to invest. It’s simple math, common sense, and biblical wisdom.

What might you go forth with today? What would it take? How might you break out of the waiting?

Do with what you have.

Change

It has been quite the week.

I’ve prided myself on my little bit of ‘stuff’ but oh man do I still have too much. The process of moving seems never-ending and there is more to come. My youngest  and I are tucked in at my folks place, but Tuesday will find us on the last leg of our transition as we head to one of the gulf islands here in British Columbia.

A few days breather in-between isn’t hurting us one bit.

Change takes work. It doesn’t happen all on its own. This I know.

The kinds of change required to take us into new spheres and open up new opportunities must be engaged and invested in. It is a LOT of work.

Whether the change is an external one, or an internal shift of heart and soul, it is still hard work.

In fact the hardest work, it might be argued, is the internal work required to ‘keep up’ with our external changes.

Thank-fully the sun rises and shines no matter our process and it reminds us that there are constancies in this life. There is much to count on as we go forward into change.

Most of all, we must always remember that we take ourselves with us. External changes do not change who we are.

Years back I did a move upon which I put my hopes and dreams of a better life, better relationships, less stress, and more cohesion.

What I forgot, or didn’t fully realize at the time, is that I was taking me with me. The others on that move were taking themselves too.

It was a disaster. Instead of cohesion I found chaos. Instead of better relationships I found brokenness and fear and personal disaster.

A move, a change meant to bring about good things, launched years of very bad.

We weren’t solid, didn’t have character, wanted a quick way out of relational and life difficulty. No wonder it didn’t work.

There is no other way to life and good things than the hard work required to stay the course, developing depth of character doesn’t just happen. We are never magically mature.

This move, this time, has no hopes pinned on it. This time, this move, my hopes are pinned on the Lord. There are parts of this transition that I am fully confident in, and parts that I’ve really no idea how it may turn out.

But I do know that I take my Lord, and I take my more mature self (thank God) and with the Lord’s orchestration of my days I suspect these new things around the corner will be for blessing.

This time I am in sync with the Lord’s plan for my life and not my own. It’s already working out so much better.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11