Where Do I Go From Here?

A Cup of Tea with Carol
Written By Carol McLeod

Have you ever wondered, “Where do I go from here?”

Has there ever been a moment when you have taken stark inventory of the personal investment in the life that you have been given and asked, “What should I do with the rest of my life?”

Or perhaps, in light of the truth that one’s life passes with sonic speed, have you ever questioned, “What will I do with the time that I have left on earth?”

When I consider those unanswerable yet meaningful questions, I come up with a myriad of answers.

I know that I will continue to breathe in and out … to make my bed every day … and to figure out what to fix for dinner on any given night of the week.

But life is more than that.  Life is more than recipes … and clean sheets … and gasping for air.

I know that I will continue to take long walks … to love the sunshine of summer … and to delight in a good read.

But life is more than my preferences … my delight … and the things that I personally enjoy.

I know that I will play the piano … enjoy the comfort of a blazing fire in the winter … and anxiously await spring’s first bloom.

But life was never meant to be lived inwardly.

Life is more than me.  Life is more than my pleasure … my comfort … and my ideas.

Life was intrinsically meant to be lived … richly and fully!

Life was designed to be experienced … with gusto and enthusiasm.

Life was always meant to be filled with eternal meaning.

Life, when lived appropriately and in its fullness, was meant to be given away.

As I ponder the next three or so decades of my life, I know that the years that I have remaining this side of heaven will fly by.  I am fully cognizant that each day is a miraculous gift and not to be wasted.

And so, I have made a few simple but important determinants. 

This is how I will live with delight:

I will smile at children and kiss the irresistible faces of babies.

I will.

I will listen to the wisdom of those who are older than I and honor their perspective birthed from experience.

I will.

I will laugh every day … hug my husband … and call my mom.

I will.

I will stay in touch with old friends … make new friends … and try to send thank you notes.

I will.

I will celebrate Christmas with reverence and with enthusiasm.

I will.

I will embrace Thanksgiving as a lifestyle and not as a mere holiday.

I will.

I will wring the joy out of an ordinary day.

I will.

And, I have determined that I will live my life with immaculate honor and uncompromising morals.  This is what I determine:

I will live with honor and with integrity every day of my life.

I will.

I will encourage others with my words and with my actions.

I will.

I will forgive quickly and will release my anger with the setting of the sun.

I will.

I will bring peace to relationships and to confusing circumstances

I will.

I will choose to give more than I receive and to build a life on generosity not on material gain.

I will.

I will abstain from gossip and from partaking in negative conversations.

I will.

I will love truth more than ego.

I will.

But the greatest determinant of my life has always been, and will always be, to give my life away for the sake of the Gospel.

I will live to make hell smaller and heaven bigger.

I will.

I will spend time in the Word of God and ask God for revelation knowledge so that I can communicate the truth found only in the Word.

I will.

I will devote my life to prayer.

I will.

I will live personally and professionally by the moral principles found in the Bible.

I will.

I will allow God to use my life as a receptacle for His glory and for His goodness.

I will.

I will worship when the world is falling down around me.

I will.

I will decrease so that He will increase in me.

I surely will.

And now … I would love to hear from you!  What are determinates that you choose to live by in the remaining years of your life?

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Carol McLeod
Carol says, “I am just a girl who is head over heels in love with Jesus ... passionately addicted to His Word ... and find all of the joy that I need in time spent in His presence." Carol is a Christmas-aholic, loves ACC basketball and the beach! Like all menopausal women, she is overly fond of chocolate and enjoys a good read. She doesn't like cleaning her house and is an expert in carry-out dinners. She hates to shop … loves to jog … and somehow finds time in her busy life to hang out with small children. She is the kind of woman that you could laugh with over lunch, cry with over disappointment and shout with over a victory! But … if you need her official bio … read on! Carol is an author and popular speaker at women's conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. She also hosts highly successful Just Joy! outreaches. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. Carol has written three books, "Holy Estrogen!", "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart" and "Defiant Joy!" which was released by a subsidiary of Thomas Nelson. Her teaching DVD, "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart", won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award, for excellence in religious programming. Carol has also been featured on YouVersion (the smart phone Bible app) with several devotionals, including: "For the Journey Set Before Him", "Jolt of Joy", and "Joy to YOUR world", " Carol has a daily radio program, "Defiant Joy! Radio" which is available in several national markets including Youngsville PA, Warren PA, Buffalo NY, Roanoke VA, Norfolk VA, and Nashville TN.  A 1977 graduate of Oral Roberts University with a degree in Music and English, Carol has the distinction of being both the first Women's Chaplain and the first woman to speak at the university's Vespers.  Carol currently serves on the ORU Alumni Board as chaplain.  She is married to her college sweetheart and love of her life, Craig, who serves as senior pastor of Life Church, a church near Buffalo, NY.  Craig and Carol have been happily married for nearly 37 years and are the parents of five children and three delightful daughters-in-law. Craig and Carol are thrilled with the joy of being grandparents to five precious grandchildren! Carol has written three books, "Holy Estrogen!", "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart" and "Defiant Joy!" which was released by a subsidiary of Thomas Nelson. Her teaching DVD, "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart", won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award, for excellence in religious programming. Carol has also been featured on YouVersion (the smart phone Bible app) with several devotionals, including: "For the Journey Set Before Him", "Jolt of Joy", and "Joy to YOUR world", " Carol has a daily radio program, "Defiant Joy! Radio" which is available in several national markets including Youngsville PA, Warren PA, Buffalo NY, Roanoke VA, Norfolk VA, and Nashville TN.  A 1977 graduate of Oral Roberts University with a degree in Music and English, Carol has the distinction of being both the first Women's Chaplain and the first woman to speak at the university's Vespers.  Carol currently serves on the ORU Alumni Board as chaplain.  She is married to her college sweetheart and love of her life, Craig, who serves as senior pastor of Life Church, a church near Buffalo, NY.  Craig and Carol have been happily married for nearly 37 years and are the parents of five children and three delightful daughters-in-law. Craig and Carol are thrilled with the joy of being grandparents to five precious grandchildren!
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