principles to follow in chapter 1 of the book of Joshua:
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
We have access to the wisdom of God through our relationship with Jesus Christ - He is the Word made flesh, and by the Scriptures, we can walk according to His plans for us, empowered by His Spirit. There may be a new season or a transition that you are walking in, and probably will experience in the future - we can know that not only does God lead us, but He is faithful to walk with us through the changes that we encounter...we have to make sure that He is the One who is initiating them, not ourselves.
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There's a Biblical story that relates to what I'll be sharing about a famous television couple who recently ended their show. In the 18th chapter of the book of Exodus, the father-in-law of Moses, Jethro, makes an important observation:
14 So when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?"
15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
16 When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws."
17 So Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you do is not good.
18 Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself.
So, we're told, Moses divided the people and set leaders over the smaller groups, which relieved the load on him and provided better leadership overall.
This was a notable week in the history of the Fixer Upper television series, starring Chip and Joanna Gaines. Their last episode aired this past week, and while many have said goodbye temporarily to the home improving couple, there seems to be another chapter being written.
According to a CBNNews.com article, Joanna wrote in a blog post: "Fixer Upper is the thing that introduced our family to yours, and every Tuesday night for the past five years, we have felt you rooting us on from the other side of the screen. We've said it many times, but it's worth saying again—thank you to everyone who has walked beside us on this journey." She added, "We're not saying goodbye. We're so excited for all that's still to come!"
The couple is expecting a fifth child, whom Joanna described as a "gift from God." Plus, a new spinoff series is in the works and the couple has opened a restaurant, among other things. As she stated:
The Gaines were also sensitive to the notion that things weren't right with the show. Chip was bothered by the customer's request that had gone unfulfilled and how a side gig had become all-consuming. Joanna admits that without God's guidance, she'd "say yes to everything." We have to know when to say yes, when to say no, and to be sensitive to the Spirit as He nudges us regarding managing our time and priorities.
It is a human tendency for many to become overcommitted. We can be motivated to delegate or eliminate, always under the control of the Spirit of God. He will take us through seasons of our lives, and we can seek Him when we start to feel things aren't right or that it's time to make a change.
This was a notable week in the history of the Fixer Upper television series, starring Chip and Joanna Gaines. Their last episode aired this past week, and while many have said goodbye temporarily to the home improving couple, there seems to be another chapter being written.
According to a CBNNews.com article, Joanna wrote in a blog post: "Fixer Upper is the thing that introduced our family to yours, and every Tuesday night for the past five years, we have felt you rooting us on from the other side of the screen. We've said it many times, but it's worth saying again—thank you to everyone who has walked beside us on this journey." She added, "We're not saying goodbye. We're so excited for all that's still to come!"
The couple is expecting a fifth child, whom Joanna described as a "gift from God." Plus, a new spinoff series is in the works and the couple has opened a restaurant, among other things. As she stated:
"With our little ones getting bigger, we had this gut feeling that it was time to step back and focus on them and our businesses here in Waco, Texas. And although that's why we thought we decided to step away from the show, we now realize with this little one on the way that there was a bigger plan in place for us all along."The Gaines obviously recognized that it was time for a change. The Faithwire.com website reported:
In his new book, “Capital Gaines: Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff,” Chip Gaines recalls a tweet he received at 2 AM from a customer that “changed everything.”
The tweet read, “Hey @chippergaines, it’s been 3 weeks, and I still haven’t gotten my wreath. What’s up?!”
Gaines writes in his book, “I tried to shake it off, knowing that I couldn’t do anything about it then and that it would have to wait until morning. No luck. I was up all night dwelling on it.”That incident really got Chip's attention. He related:
“Something shifted within me. Suddenly filming the TV show looked like ‘the job’ that had seduced me into giving it my precious time that I had always promised would be reserved for my true loves, my family and my business. How had this side gig found its way to competing with the very things that mean more to me than anything else in the world?”As the article notes, there was speculation that the Gaines' marriage was in trouble when they announced the show would not continue. CBN says:
Gaines writes that their relationship is stronger than ever, “but pure long-term exhaustion can change a person — or two persons. We had been driving so hard for so long now. And I had this sense that if I kept my foot on the gas, we might be headed for disaster.”Chip and Joanna Gaines have been shaped by their faith. A Fox News online story stated:
"For me, [faith] changed everything," Chip told us. "It's a part of who I am. I can't separate the two."
The contractor said while his relationship with God plays an important role in every aspect of his life, he doesn't want to come off as preachy.
"I try not to rub it in anybody's face," he explained. "I'm not real boisterous about it but people seem to find out about it just through the way that Jo and I live our lives."
He added, "And we're proud of that."The story adds:
"I had to learn that this whole God thing isn’t just this big religion. It’s really that He wants this relationship with us on a personal level,” Joanna told People last year. "Even today with the opportunities that are coming our way… I need His guidance. Otherwise I’d say yes to everything."The Gaines' story can inspire us in several ways. They demonstrate the importance of bringing your faith to work. The Fox story said that Chip Gaines' faith is integrated into "every aspect" of his life, and that is as it should be. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to control the decisions we make and empower the actions we take, including how we do the work we are called by God to do.
The Gaines were also sensitive to the notion that things weren't right with the show. Chip was bothered by the customer's request that had gone unfulfilled and how a side gig had become all-consuming. Joanna admits that without God's guidance, she'd "say yes to everything." We have to know when to say yes, when to say no, and to be sensitive to the Spirit as He nudges us regarding managing our time and priorities.
It is a human tendency for many to become overcommitted. We can be motivated to delegate or eliminate, always under the control of the Spirit of God. He will take us through seasons of our lives, and we can seek Him when we start to feel things aren't right or that it's time to make a change.
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