The Value of Your Circle

I have been reflecting on the past year, and there is so much I could write. However, I feel to simply focus on one topic: the value of your circle. 

If I am honest, I ended the working year feeling burned out. I withdrew from the world. I was in survival mode - just focused on getting through the working year. I now find myself continuing to deliberately disconnect, but with a new purpose - to recuperate. 

Many things have caused me to think about who is in my inner circle. Who are the people that bring value to my life? Who can I talk to without boundaries? Who speaks life into my world? Who just listens without judgement? 

Being out and about, and hearing conversations of others... I realised I take for granted those in my inner circle. I guess I shelter myself from a lot of 'junk'. I make (often unconscious) efforts to be in a 'clean' environment.  To keep my conversations pure and life-giving. When I hear gutter talk from people around me, I realise the quality of friends in my circle. My friends, like me, are not perfect, but they always speak life and truth. They are calming and encouraging. They don't backstab or speak death or harm over anybody.

They are set apart. There are many quotes about the importance of who is in your circle. I agree... we all need a few trusted people who just make the world a better place. 

Thank you to those who make my world a better place 💜🦋

(The photo is of a beautiful gift from somebody in my circle 🥰). 

Finishing Well

Oops... I missed November! 🤭😅 It was a mentally and physically exhausting month. I had many ideas, but a link in the chain from thought to typing broke 🙃 I will continue to work on those ideas, and bring them to life in the future.

Recently, I caught up with my original intercessor & prophetic mentors. One of our topics of conversation was, "Finishing Well".

I had a friend, a pastor from Texas who's blog was named, "Finishing Well". He passed away about a year ago. We never actually met in person, but he was a source of encouragement to me. He was like a wise uncle who would occasionally check in on me, and encouraged me when I needed. As a Palliative Care Chaplain, he helped me through the process of losing my parents-in-law. 

His aim in life was to Finish Well. I believe he did. 

I'm sure many of us desire to finish well. To hear those words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant" (Matthew 5:23).  

How many of us, if we're honest, question how we would respond in a life or death situation? Would we be prepared to die for our faith? To be imprisoned for following Jesus? With the way the world is going, it can be quite a sobering topic. None of us wants to die for our faith, right? But, I'm sure most of us would rather find ourselves in heaven, for being faithful, than hell, for giving in to fear.

I loved how my mentors concluded this subject.... we all need to be praying for ourselves, and our friends to finish well. 

So, if you are reading this, I pray that you have the courage and determination to finish well. To eventually hear the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant". 🦋©️