It's difficult to think in generalities and live in specifics.  It's kinda like the rancher who got on his horse one morning and rode off in every direction at once.  Can't do it.  Details... Patterns... Specifics...  These are the things we need to pay attention to.  Let's go back to that horse example for a moment but on a different level.  I used to ride bulls and broncs about 100 years ago and it was always good to know the details... the patterns that certain animals had.  Some would come out of the chute and within ten feet would immediately begin a circular pattern to the left.  A good bull rider would need to know that info and prepare to adjust accordingly.  Different animals have different specifics about them. A black Angus bull will have a skin layer that rolls a bit more to the left and right than most other bulls.  Adjust accordingly to that specific if you're going to be a dynamic bull rider.  I remember hunkering down on a bareback bronc one day and the score keeper out in the arena said, "Right here is where he's going to make his move, Karl," as the score keeper drew an X in the dirt with his boot.  Details... Patterns... Specifics...  I had been on this bronc before.  Named "Strawberry Roan." I had survived past that 'X' but didn't quite last the full 8 seconds.  And now here I was again on that same strong horse.  I'll never forget that day.  I hung on tightly as we moved across the arena together in tandem, approaching that mark.  Deep breath, tight grip. C'mon!!! Ride 'em, Karl! Broke my back that day.  Not too dynamic, huh? Still gotta say it... there's nothing like carefully, slowly, respectfully sitting down on a 2,000-pound Brahma bull! And every little detail you can learn about the animal you're going to ride... every little 'specific' ... can make a difference.

     May I suggest the same can be said for how you do life? Build specifics into your life and your life will be much more dynamic.  A life based on generalities will be, well, general.  Let's say you wake up in the morning and throw a general prayer up to God saying something like, "Dear God, thank you for this day.  I pray you'll bless this day today.  Jesus' name, Amen." Can't have a prayer much more general than that can you? So when you lay your head on your pillow that night how are you going to know if God answered that prayer?  Where are the details? Perhaps sometimes we'll hear a prayer like, "Be with us at camp this week," or "Be with us in the service today." Friends God is omnipresent.  He's everywhere! He'll be there, okay.  What are we really saying? We need to realize the difference between praying and saying prayers.  We have the Creator of the Universe listening not only to our words but even to those things we just can't express fully but that are on our minds.  He cares about our cares.  And He desires that we bring them to Him.  "Cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you." (1 Pet. 5:7)

     So let me encourage you to start building 'specifics' into your life.  Specific actions.  The goal here isn't simply a thicker notebook... it's more tread on the souls of your shoes as you put feet to your faith.  Maybe instead of, "Dear God bless this day.  Jesus' name, Amen."  What if you said, "My dear Lord.  My sustainer, my strength and guide.  I know You have a purpose for me today and I believe one of the best ways I can prove so is when I meet with Meilyn this afternoon at the coffee shop at 4:30 to talk with her about this deep sense of depression that I've seen building up in her.  Lord, use me as a source of encouragement.  Give me good words to say... not preachy words of judgment but rather hopeful words... uplifting words... words with a song in them, Father.  Use me to give her Your words.  Use me as a source of hope and a friend she can come to in such a time as she is in right now.  Oh Father, You have been such a source of life to me.  So forgiving.  Thank you for that.  And as 2 Cor. 5:20 says, "God is making His appeal... through us..."  Please do so through me today as I meet with her.  I trust you, Father.  In Your name, Amen."

     Now let me ask you.  If that was your prayer that morning, (with all those 'specifics') do you see how much more dynamic your life will be when you lay your head on your pillow that night? Why? Because you put marching orders into your day.  There were so many specifics to look back on that night.  Now imagine if you could begin to make that your lifestyle? Nothing becomes dynamic until it becomes specific.

     So one of my specifics is to provide you with something new to just focus on for a week.  52 different thoughts that I hope will move from the journal to the journey... specifics that will have an effect on your life and those in your circle.  Can you do it? The goal isn't to perhaps find this website and read through everything and gain a few encouraging thoughts.  Just take one.  Just one.  This week.  They'll be another next week.  The fruit of the Spirit is patience.  Let's just work on the 168 hours you have this week to put feet to your faith.  I'm not saying it's always going to be easy.  But let's just try and build in this habit of trying again and again to put a specific action into our lives for the name and sake of Jesus Christ.  Just keep at it.

     By the way ... Never was able to stay on Strawberry Roan for a full 8 seconds.  But I did ride bulls and broncs again and again.  Don't let your failures mark your life.  You sure wouldn't be reading this if I did.

​

​

​