Spotlight on a Heart After God

Photo by North Carolina’s most distinguished photographer Alan Ostmann

Spotlight on a Heart after God by Babs Kincaid

         Along this colorful journey called life, I have encountered some beautiful people that have a genuine heart after God and some who have a candid heart after themselves. For simplicity, I like to call those who have a heart after God as divine Star Gazers and those who have a heart after self as earthly Navel Gazers. What I have discovered is that that the unusual people I like to call Star Gazers see lights and Navel Gazers see limits. Lights are possibilities to me that represent hope. Limits are boundaries to me that represent despair. Navel Gazers see restrictions and barriers to their goals and aspirations. Star Gazers see freedom and expansion to their goals and aspirations. Star Gazers are fueled by positive thinking from the words of their Heavenly God. Navel Gazers are powered by negative thinking from the words of worldly men.

          Star Gazers strive to look up to up and Navel Gazers endeavor to look down. Star Gazers are inspired by God’s limitless resources, power and redemptive support. Navel Gazers are stuck by constrained resources, weakness and qualifying support. Star Gazers attempt to focus on God’s everlasting love and care to see them through their unending challenges. Navel Gazers try to focus on their self-efforts to meet their relentless challenges. Star Gazer are continuously renewing their minds with God’s word to stretch their thoughts to adapt to Heavenly truth.

Navel Gazers are looking down and unwilling to change their perspective by flying solo without God’s wisdom.

          Star Gazers have faith in a higher power namely God. Navel Gazers have faith in themselves. Navel Gazers are optimistic thinkers believing that while man can flip a house, God can flip a life! Navel Gazers remain docked at the shore focused on problems rather than solutions. Star Gazers have left the dock in their boat with God as their captain! Star Gazers are confident that reliable solutions will come because God is navigating their boat and His love and purpose never fails!

          In the beginning the first thing God created was light. No wonder God placed such a high value on us acquiring it. I believe a Star Gazer would believe this verse would describe their path: “is like the morning sun shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” Proverbs 4:18 So picture this scene of a new day with a boat fully loaded and ready for takeoff with God as your captain. Are you ready to let Him rewrite your story or continue to write you story for a better ending? I must be honest by saying that in my life I fluctuate between being a Star Gazer and a Navel Gazer but my passion is to be known by all as a divine Star Gazer. I would love to leave a legacy of one that I had a “heart after God.”

         

“Then spoke Jesus again to them, saying, I am the light of the world; he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12

MORE, MORE, JUST GIVE ME MORE

     

        I remember when I was in my twenties I thought I deserved to wear the finest clothes. If I was going to attract a prince then I should be entitled to dress like a princess, right??? Did you catch the deadly word that trapped me into a bottomless pit…..entitled! I felt I deserved it pure and simple! The fact that my bank account didn’t support my frivolous spending was irrelevant. Seriously, I spent a lot of money on designer underwear! Some of you are laughing and some of you know this familiar tune all too well!

          I wanted to physically stand out and the cost and consequences just seemed unimportant.  My motto was “Live for today” and don’t worry about tomorrow, right?  That’s why my plastic cards were so much fun! The more the merrier and just spread the good cheer I thought. I never thought I would end up with a huge stack of bills I couldn’t pay! Duh!!! Life was good and I was living it like a true princess. Wiser professionals have called my behavior “shopaholic.” I could literally shop until I dropped!

          My detour into fantasy land had some painful outcomes. My spending was way out of control. I thought budget was a nasty word only meant for accountants. Who needed that dull and boring life I thought! Who wants to be a bean counter anyway? Didn’t I feel truly significant wearing all my brand name clothes??? How insecure was I to think my worth was only attached to expensive clothes??? I had a serious insecurity issue!

          I had been rapidly feeding my shopaholic habit for years without a break. I was getting an adrenaline rush off of spending more and the addiction kept me satisfied until my next craving for more rose up and I needed to go shopping again! There was no end to my appetite for more.  It reminds me of a clip from the movie “Confessions of a Shopaholic” when Rebecca Bloomwood a true shopaholic said “a store always smells good. A store can awaken a lust for things you never even knew you needed.” In another classic line Rebecca says, “When I shop, the world gets better and the world is better, but then it’s not, and I need to do it again.”

          Now I remember why I didn’t like math in school with so many rules and many more problems to solve. I had locked myself in one gigantic financial mess by the time I needed help. Duh!!! Doing a budget reminded me of doing another boring math problem. Yuck!!!

          God woke me up one day out of my fantasy coma and I realized that if I continued down this cancerous trail my quality of life would look like a train wreck! I was so stressed out I knew my health would be deteriorating and I would be enslaved to debtors. Wasn’t I getting worried about how to juggle so much debt??? I could so relate to the feelings of Rebecca Bloomwood who said in her movie “They said I was a valued customer.  Now they send me hate mail.”

          Fortunately God intervened in my desperate financial situation. God provided me an enthusiastic, Godly, wise and witty budget counselor. Yea God!!! God knew I needed a special person to keep my attention and encourage me to make the next right decision.

          I had to learn lot of new financial lessons. I learned I couldn’t spend more than I earned.  That was huge for me to start off with. Duh!!! I had to learn plastic cards were meant only for emergencies and had to be paid off monthly or I couldn’t use them. I had to learn I had to pay God first (10% of my income=tithe), my bills second and then save some. Once my budget came out of the red I could give some $ away. I had to learn to list my expenses and make sure I could cover them. I had to learn to list them on a calendar and keep them in a stand up sorter by date due. I had to learn I would have a better future if I saved some $ today. I had to learn my worth wasn’t attached to my clothes. I had to learn to become skilled at coupons and be proud of myself for saving money. Less is more. Less spending leaves more in my pocket for a later date and emergencies. I had to learn to save because emergencies come up that require extra $. I had to learn people were more important than stuff. I am still learning and being challenged. My only regret is that I didn’t become wiser at spending earlier in my life. You my friend can benefit from my mistakes and take the wiser path.

          You can see your true value and identity is in Christ and know he is well pleased with your good stewardship!

          Today is a great day for a do over. Treat yourself! After all you are entitled to a better life….God’s style and not yours.

P.S.  I no longer feel significant with fancy stuff but my new significance is with my Savior.

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another.” Romans 13:8

Heaven Drops

Photo by Asheville's finest photographer Alan Ostmann

“Heaven Drops” 

by Babs Kincaid

Dare to miraculously dream.

Discard Satan’s schemes.

Dare to follow Jesus & soar.

Refuse to open Satan’s door.

Dare to completely believe.

Heaven drops you’ll receive.

Dare to let your Spirit rejoice.

Silence the Devil’s voice.

Dare to look up.

Reject the liar’s cup.

Righteous desires end only in good.

Jesus will supply your livelihood.

“The desire of the righteous ends only

in good.” Proverbs 11:23