Sunday, August 12, 2012

Praycation - DAY TWELVE


Small change adds up. That is the premise for Susan and Larry Terkel’s book Small Change; little things make a big difference. Small changes are easier to initiate and maintain. And if you mess up, you can easily start all over again.

The authors suggest replace a soft drink with water at just one meal such as lunch. In one year you’ll drink 40 gallons of water instead of 40 gallons of carbonated sugar, 50,000 calories and maybe add $500 bucks to your wallet.

Walk to the next bus stop instead of the closest one and in one year you may add 150 miles to your exercise plan. Try saying I love you at the end of every phone conversation with the one you love; take a breath before reacting to small annoyances; keeping your change in jar at home or do the triple tithe a 10th to the lord, a 10th to savings and a 10th for you.

You can try doing one fun thing for yourself a week or add at least an hour for friends or a hobby- small changes; what about asking more and assuming less; think before you speak; get enough sleep tonight; phone home; send a real note instead of an email to thank someone; eat popcorn instead of chips or nuts instead of cookies for snacks; switch to decaf anything; try three minuets of stretching in the morning or three minuets of prayer, or three minutes of just being grateful, looking for things to be thankful about before beginning your regular routine or just three minutes praising God for who God is…it will make a difference in your day– one small change per month could add up to a big lifestyle change for you!

A small change eases you into new things. It doesn’t require a massive amount of money, drastic change of the schedule or a radical lifestyle change. It is a one step at a time promise of sustained success. And with one small success you’ll work for more. Think of it as the steady progress of the tortoise that eventually wins the race with the rabbit.

When Jesus called the sons of Zebedee away from their fishing business…he said come, I’ll make you fishers of men. They already knew how to fish but with just one small change they would be going after different game. It begins by refining who you already are or what you are already doing. Here is how you improve on the product not just looking for the new method, new vehicle or destination to make a change.
It can all start by simply changing your mind. Hmmm, what type of small change can you do – today- that will make a big difference in your life later on?

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Galatians 6:9
Let us pray:
Lord, empower me to make one small change today that can add up to a big difference in my life. In Jesus name, amen.

PRAYCATION
Join Praycation during our annual 31-day journey. This year it is a journey to a transformed life. If you are just starting just scroll through the archives and catch up. Let me know in the comment section that you participating this year. Share your prayer expereinces or when God answers your prayer in the comment section.
Remember to do the steps of Praycation: Silence, Solitude, Submission and Selah. The details for the steps are found in the introduction on August first. To pray is to change!
VMM

2 comments:

  1. Bishop,

    Thank you for this. I have shared this with friends and family.

    Kevin Williams from St Paul

    ReplyDelete