The "Right Nows" of Life

For those who follow me on social media; for the past couple of weeks- even months, I have been sharing a lot on the subject of contentment. The Lord has been leading me into this place of contentment, and I know it transcends beyond the “four walls” of my life, He wants everyone to be content in the season they are in.

You may ask why? Why be content when I can do better, I can be better. Aren’t we supposed to have a spirit of excellence and not of mediocracy? The answer is yes, yes and yes. Of course, God doesn’t want us to stay stuck; He wants us to go from glory to glory. It is His desire to see us grow and prosper in everything that we do.

 

What I mean is to enjoy the “right nows” in life, in spite of what season you find yourself in. It’s a choice. How will I react upon adversity? Will I count my blessings or my troubles? Will I look over my shoulder and see how everyone else’s beautiful curb appeal is while my grass is withering? (Maybe they just put really cool filters to make it look greener…I mean, I’m just saying) The point is that contentment starts within. It's a decision, a decision to be happy. Decide to be happy with what you have today without being consumed with the worries of tomorrow. In every season there is a beautiful lesson to be learned and before you can advance to the next level, you must learn the lesson and pass the test. So often we are sucked into this idea that if we don’t have what we want now, we are not happy. I want to make something clear to you today, the devil is a liar. You may have 99 problems, but that one solution, that one blessing, that one ray of light is enough for you to stop yourself and say “Wait a minute, let me take this time and be grateful for this ONE thing.” If you were to take a piece of paper and draw a line in the middle, on one side you put blessings and on the other side you put problems or goals, or dreams; I can assure you that your blessings will outweigh your troubles.

Don’t ever allow the enemy, or people make you feel that you need more. You are enough; you are complete in Jesus Christ. I quoted this a few weeks back on Facebook, “Don’t be consumed with what lies ahead that you forget to enjoy what’s right in front of you. God has provided everything you need for today and new provisions will be added on for you tomorrow. God wants you to be happy with what you have now, instead of worrying about what you need later.”

I strongly believe that God wants His people to be appreciative with what they have today. Celebrate your small victories. Enjoy your every milestone. Be thankful for the small dosages of progress that you’re making each day. Stop comparing your custom-designed journey to someone else’s; you will never fit in because you were not meant to fit into someone else's mold. You’re meant to fit in yours and yours alone.  No matter how little or insignificant it may seem today, if you genuinely decide to be happy with what you have, God will open up the heavens and pour out abundant blessings over your life.

Learning to be content with what you have will bring complete fulfillment. Comparisons create unnecessary voids while contentment offers unconditional joy. Enjoy the “right nows” of your life, no matter how your season may seem. Don’t look for validation in anyone else’s life; everyone has a distinct journey they’re traveling. God has orchestrated every single detail in your life to His perfection. You may say, Landy you have no idea how my life looks like, it’s a mess. I tell you today, it may be a mess, but it’s beautiful. As disastrous as it may seem, as disappointed you may feel right now, it’s still your beautiful life and it’s perfect and fitting for you! A single season does not determine your destiny or the outcome of your life. A season is simply a fragment of your life; it’s not your entire life. It does not define you.

Learning to be content with who you are and what you have, gives you grounds to experience a liberating feeling like none other. You’ll be able to enjoy and savor the “right nows” of your life; leaving absolutely no room for the worries or concerns of tomorrow.

Decide to be happy, decide to be free.

“Learn to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want.” –Jim Rohn

 

For further Scripture readings, take a look at these: Philippians 4:6-7, 10-14,  Matthew 6:25-34, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, John 10:10,

Be Encouraged, Be Blessed!

landypf

Your Season Is Coming

About a week and half ago I was in New Jersey and Connecticut with my husband, visiting family, and in other engagements. I was loving it because this time of the year is just perfect to visit, I mean, who doesn’t love the fall season? It had been quite a few years since I had the opportunity to see the foliage and the beautiful scenic view that this season has to offer. I remember being memorized by all this beauty and couldn’t help to think “Well that sucks, we don’t get see this in Florida. Everything is the same. There is no change in season; we experiment pretty much the same season all year around-summer. And did I mention? The leaves are all one color, green.”

I remember being on the plane, ready to come back home when the Lord spoke to me. He began to tell me that many people feel that way; they think that their stuck in the same season where they see no change coming their way. Tell them that even though their eyes physically cannot see changes, a new season is approaching their lives. What has seemed like a hot, desert season, what has seemed like a routine- I get up in the morning, go to work, then church then back home and there is nothing new or refreshing, nothing to look forward to in my life, what seems like the same problem that just continues to linger on and when I think I’ve resolved it, something else comes up and I can never get a break… it's just that, a season, it's temporary, it has a life span of x amount of time. Every season has to come to an end because a new one has to begin.

I want to tell you today that no matter how long you’ve been stuck in your season, maybe you feel like this is it for you, there’s nothing new, nothing better in the horizon for you, I want to remind you once again that a new season is approaching. Take heed and prepare for what’s next in your life. 

 

In doing some research on seasons, especially Autumn, which I’ll be referring to as Fall, I came to realize that Fall approximately lasts about 83 days. This tells me that every season has an end and a beginning. You’re about to step into a new season! If you find yourself in a really bad season, don’t worry, there’s an expiration date, that season, that problem, that circumstance is only temporary, there’s a new season coming. Another interesting fact is in the tropical regions, such as Florida, the change in season is not so notable. Well, duh! For those of us who live here can attest to that because it feels like June in November! It seriously feels like we are in the summer season; however, despite what we may see or feel, the truth of the matter is that we are in the Fall season. On those rare occasions, when we experiment really nice cool breeze weather, we are reminded of God’s faithfulness and the fact that we are in a different season. Even though we may not notice it, a change is occurring. I want to tell you that even if you don’t notice big changes in your circumstances, there are changes happening right now. God is doing something new in your life! The changes may not be so noticeable but you will start to experiment subtle changes that will lead you to your next season.

Another interesting fact is that due to the low temperatures, the color of the leaves change from green to yellow, orange, and red. Because of the strong winds, these leaves tend to fall off the branches, leaving the tree bare. Also, leaving the homeowners raking and picking up lots of leaves from their yards, which I’m sure they love to do! But check this out: according to this research, there are a group of flowers that are able to resist the Fall season, and by resisting they’re able to continue growing and flourishing into a beautiful garden. I want to tell you today that if you are able to resist the strong winds that want to knock you off and make you fall, if you are able to resist you will flourish in the midst of your circumstance. Resist!

Another interesting point is this, animals begin to prepare to hibernate, and that is how they survive the winter season. But it’s fascinating how animals know that a new season is approaching. You don’t see them moping around, depressed, thinking that the current season will never end. No, they are in work mode- not waiting mode! They prepare for the next season because they know this season will soon come to an end and a new one will begin. C’mon, I know we are smarter than animals, right?....Right?? Well, then why is it that we do not begin to prepare for the next season that God has for us? Why is it that we are “stuck” in the waiting room and we are not invested in the work room? Why is it that we complain, get bitter, compare ourselves to others, think and speak negative about the current season as if we were meant to be stuck there forever? We should be preparing for what’s coming next. God will never take you to the next season unless  you’re prepared to enter and conquer that season.

And I’ll finish my findings with this, as far as harvest goes, the Fall season is the best season to harvest and collect, it’s the most fertile and abundant of all. I want to leave you with this:
 

• If you’re able to resist the season in which you find yourself in
• If you’re able to prepare yourself for the coming season

You will flourish, harvest, collect, you will be fertile and there will be great abundance in your life. The leaves of your story will change, they will no longer be of one color, but now your story will have great color and depth that will bring life and hope to others who need a change of season.

Enjoy your season because when you get out of it, you will be qualified to help others who are in that current season and at the same time you will be equipped to enter into your next season.
 
Be Encourged, Be Blessed!
Landy Perez-Feliciano