Do you ever have one of those days when you don’t really accomplish any of the things you set out to accomplish?  One of those days when you don’t feel like you really accomplished anything?  You know one of those days where you feel like you moved backwards, instead of forward?

What do you do with a day like that?  You can let it take and keep you down in the dumps, or you can decide to do something about it, by turning it around and making it count while it is still today.

Here are three things you can do to make every day a productive day, even and especially the days that feel non-productive:

1.)  Look for encouragement!  Read something encouraging like the Bible, motivational quotes or something special that you’ve saved from a family member or friend.  Listen to motivational messages or watch something uplifting on tv or video.  Now with some encouragement under your belt, move to step number two.

2.)  Share the encouragement!  Believe it or not, you are not the only one out there that had this kind of day.  Take a few moment to write a note, post a message or make a call and share an encouraging thought with at least three other people.  Be intentional and on purpose – make this count.

3.)  Realize the encouragement!  You went and got some encouragement for yourself and then you shared encouragement with someone else.  If you did nothing else today – it has been a good and productive day!  Realize and appreciate the opportunity you have been blessed with.

BTW…  Just because you think it was an unproductive day does not mean that it was.  You often accomplish more than you realize and when you really begin to realize the encouragement, you will also begin to see that you accomplished more than you originally realized!  Blessings!

Sometimes I start out on one path and end up on another.  This may be frustrating to some people, but it’s not to me, because I have learned that as I trust my Creator, He takes me on journeys and it is on the journey that I see, experience and learn things that I could not and would not learn anywhere else.

I am not a perfect person.  I am not the most educated.  I don’t know everything.  I am a child of the most High King.  I do listen to Him and can hear Him speak.  I ultimately follow His will and experience amazing things.

I love God and I am glad that He loves me.  He made me and while I am not perfect, I am forgiven and He allows me to serve Him everyday with my life.  I get to touch others with His amazing grace, the same grace that is at work in my life and I cannot find words anywhere near good enough to explain how that feels.

Judge if you must, judge if you will, just be careful – because in all of your judging, you might just miss the journey He has for you and that would be really sad, because He has an amazing journey for each of us.  I love you, am praying for you and giving God the glory for it all!

Today has been one of those days.  You know the kind that does not turn out at all like you thought it was going to?  It started out pretty good.  Spent a little fun time before school wrestling with my girls, and my oldest still letting me walk her into school means more than words can say.

I then went to the hospital to visit a very dear friend, church member and all around precious soul.  She was having gall bladder surgery and was so appreciative of me being there – her attitude and spirit bless me.  This sweet lady has mailed me a card of encouragement at least once a week for the last 12 years.  I then spent the bulk of the morning with her son, who I have talked with several times through the years, but had my best opportunity to really minister to him this morning.  I think it really was meaningful for him to have me there and I was glad that I could be.

When I left the hospital, I should have been flying high, but instead I was feeling big time BLAH!  It just seemed to get worse as the day went on.  No real reason to feel that way, nothing bad happened.  It just seemed to come out of no where and all the praying and reminding myself of the promises of God’s Word just couldn’t shake it.

Then tonight, I found myself thinking about home.  Not where I was born or grew up.  I’m talking about Heaven – my spiritual home.  God called me into ministry to help people find their way there and to get ready for home.  I realized tonight that my BLAH feeling was homesickness.

I love my family and friends here on this earth.  I love the ministry that I get to do everyday, but inside of me there is a part of me that is longing for home.   I want to see my Savior face to face.  I want to feel his embrace.  I want to worship him without any of the hindrances of sinful earth.  I know it sounds selfish, but some days when my body and mind become tired of the battle, my spirit longs and yearns for home.

It’s not selfishness.  I can’t really explain it.  And the Spirit always helps me through it by refreshing my faith, renewing my spirit and reviving my tired life.  So here I am at the end of the day at a better place, a little closer to home and feeling a lot better!