Points2Ponder

   "2nd Novel in a Year Because I Dared to Believe God!"

                                     Points2Ponder

                                                                                                       By Alan P. Scaglone

 Nothing Routine in 2013!

That’s my New Year’s Mantra!
I always come up with one—and my friends even ask “So? What’s this year’s mantra?”
But this one really has a lot of significance!
I really feel like we have to “Shake it Up!” Not do the same ol’ same ol’ just because… it’s how we’ve always done it!
I have been looking at my life—and I really am not ready to just Retire in Place—sit on the sidelines and watch others live!
How about you?

Points2Ponder  When’s the last time you decided to take the lead—step out of your comfort zone—follow the beat of your own drum?

My wife and I have this New Year’s Eve tradition.

There’s this clear jar—that sits on our kitchen counter—and we put in the year’s memorabilia to keep track of our year.
It may be our movie ticket stubs (you’d be surprised the movies you FORGOT you watched!)
It may be a program for a play or a church service you attended.
It could be a napkin from a nice restaurant you went to.
And it may even be… a deflated balloon with a crayon attached—to remind you of that lunch with your son and grandson!
All of it— just collecting throughout the year—until New Year’s Eve!
Then we sit down and she puts the contents in chronological order in a Photo Album—with our comments of the memories we made!
And then… We reflect on our year—the good, the funny, the sad, the poignant, the experiences, the lessons!
All of it—reflecting and reviewing, assessing and analyzing, attributing and applying…
All to ask the question: “What will I take into the New Year from the Old Year?”
We are on this journey called life—and it’s the journey that’s more important than the individual pit stops along the way!
So? What did you learn this past year that you can apply to 2013?
If we don’t learn from it, it’s a mistake; if we do learn from it, it’s a lesson!
Lessons are good; mistakes, well—you can figure that out.
As we were reflecting on the good of 2012—I just became consumed with gratitude for “The Year of the Writer!”
That’s what we called 2012—the year I walked into my destiny and fulfilled my calling and exercised my gift to its potential—
And saw it grow and become more than I could ever imagine!
All because… I dared to believe in the gift I had been given—and, I “Worked My Dream!”
I say WORK because it takes effort and enthusiasm and vision IF you are going to see your dream to fruition!
YOU have to put your time and talent into it—GOD needs to see you doing your best with what HE has given you!
We went through 2012 and tracked each step that led to the meteoric rise of my Year of the Writer!
And all of it started with—ME!
God had already done His part—HE gave me the gift!
But I had to believe in HIS gift and honor the Giftgiver—by daring to do something with HIS GIFT!
I would still be talking about “someday, I’m going to write a novel!” today IF… I didn’t dare to just see what God could do IF I used HIS gift!
He’s waiting to see—what will YOU do with what I have given YOU???
My dearest friend told me her mother-in-law came over recently.
She had every gift that my friend had ever given her—still unopened.
The woman said, “I can’t use these, so I thought you might want to give them to someone else!”
My friend was speechless.
To return the gift to the person who gave it to you—unopened? Never used? Like the gift didn’t even matter? Or the Giftgiver?
And I wondered?

What If GOD felt that way?

Every time we just downplay a talent or skill or gift that we have—like it isn’t even worth opening?

I know how my friend felt—she was crushed, angered and incensed! All rolled up into one!
So… I DARE YA!
And… God’s Watching YOU!
Nothing Routine in 2013!
Who knows?
This could be YOUR Year of the Writer!
You’ll never know—IF you don’t Shake It Up and See what happens!

I’m Just… Reflecting on -- Life!

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