On Purpose

With purpose of heart
Today
I will say good-bye before I say hello
To that which will bring death

With purpose of heart
I will choose your way O God, not mine
As I take each breath
In hope
Of a life lived with love to spare
For all
Because you first loved me

With purpose of heart
I choose to live out your purpose in me.
Even when
Life seems without purpose.

Each of us must face our own moments of decision. Where our choices make or break us.

The poem above is part of my poetry journal "Letting Go of Cockatoo Dreams"

© 2010 Debbie Turner Chavers



Act 11:23Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

Job Description-Servant

During a brief visit with someone yesterday, I was asked what I do daily with my time.
My job?
This is an uncomfortable question, because there is no general descriptive term for what I consider my job to be, other than Servant.
Some how, with all the hoopla of awards, recognitions, and the "worlds" pat on the back.
The title Servant does not seem so grand.
For what I do on a daily basis is service/serving others.
It is probably what most of us do. Serve. You may have a fancy title attached to your service.
I do not. Unless, wife,mom, friend, cook, landscaper, nurse, etc...is a fancy title.
So I guess my official work title is "Servant".
Or I could adopt the title of "Doer".
Daily I apply myself to those things which need to be done.
The everyday, day in day out needs of a family and home. The large and small things that make life easier for those in my circle of care. Some days this circle shrinks and some days it is popping through my orderly seams!

My job is to serve others in my circle of care by making life easier, more orderly, and prayerfully a better day for those in and around my sphere of influence. And when life slows down, I grab a pen "Writer"or paintbrush "Painter" and share what I am learning with others.

As with any job, I am more successful on some days than others. This servant thing is hard.
Yet, to live life only for one's self is harder still.
Regardless, of our job titles, job one is to serve, just as Christ served.

After, study of God's word, I think Servant, is a pretty grand title.

~Debbie

© 2010 Debbie Turner Chavers

Matthew 20:26-28
But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Mark 9:35
And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, [the same] shall be last of all, and servant of all.

The Pointy Accusation

Two forward and three back. Sounds like a game of checkers.
Yet, this is a game that has no winners.
The heart that points a finger has three pointed back at its self.
In checkers you make points by taking the other players chips off the table one by one.
But in real life, relationships are not a game of checkers.
And what you take from your supposed opponent is more than a chip.
It can be the beginning of the end of a relationship.

Relationships are built by adding one chip on top of another to build a base for a solid foundation of trust and empathy.
As individuals it is easy to only point out the wrong of another in a relationship.
To feel justified for a wrong done.
Even when the accusation is true, there are no winners unless the opponent realizes the fault and changes accordingly.
So when pointing a finger at someone else...look down and see the three pointed back at you from your own hand.
This will help you remember to be kind as you point and realize that the chips are stacked on mercies side.

James 2:10
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one [point], he is guilty of all.

Luke 6:42
Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.

~Debbie

© 2010 Debbie Turner Chavers