Over half of the New Testament is accredited to the authorship of the  Apostle Paul.  However, in his letter to the Romans (15:20) he reveals that he preferred reaching brand new people with the Gospel over edifying established churches.  Both his visits to Corinth, Ephesus, or a variety of other churches and his letters sent to various Christian converts probably seemed pretty insignificant to Paul. Instead, they may have been his greatest contribution to the Church.  Perhaps, what we deem inconsequential are the very things that have the most import. Take, for example, the value of words.  Years ago, verbal reinforcement was not a topic of study.  Today, however, books and seminars tout the power of words to shape lives, to resolve conflict, and to produce desired behaviors. At one time, the influence of word choice was overlooked.  After all, didn't most people use language?  What seemed small was in fact, one of the greatest tools for man, its validation found in Scripture stating that power of  life and death are in the tongue. Most often, our eyes are drawn to the big things: large monetary donations, feats of great strength, enormous sacrifices, but our smaller offering, given in service to God, may be equally meaningful.
Tip/Tidbit: Remember, you matter. Your choices impact others and your world. Never underestimate your contribution to the work of God or to the betterment of mankind. 

Why is it when you have the most to say, you have the least amount of time to write about it? Such has been the case with me.  I've been enjoying some of the most wonderful time with my family, delving into a writing project I've had on hold for far too long, and getting ready for some upcoming trips we plan to make.  Typically, we are home bodies, preferring to hang out around the house.  But this summer has a lot of milestones for us, so we are in a travel mindset it seems.  Our daughter's graduation was celebrated with get-aways. The kids have Youth Congress, a national, out-of-state, church event that they've been planning for some time now.  Autumn's "special" birthday is this year (18 on the 18th) and travel is our traditional way of celebrating those.  However, the real "biggy" to me is a trip my husband and I are planning because of celebrating 25 years of marriage.  I feel so blessed that we have had these years together.  We often remind each other that we've spent more years together than we did in our lives before each other.  We joke that if we don't like something about the other, then we haven't done a good job of "raising" said spouse. lol.  Although this is a summer brimming with going places, the trip I'm most happy about is the one that I've made holding my husband's hand.  

Endings. Transitions. New beginnings.  Recently, the baby of the family exited high school.  Her graduation was an event that drew our household into a whirlwind of activity and signaled the end of one season of our lives.  The celebrations which honored her accomplishments transitioned us into a new place as a family.  Now, our home is the branch on which young adults stretch their wings in preparation for solo flight; it is no longer the nest where little ones burrow safely beneath parental wings.  The familiar environment of inter-dependency has slowly unfurled to reveal the precipice of independence and self discovery for us all. We perch, cherishing what has been while anticipating what lies ahead.  Universities. Careers. Relationships.  Solo living. These are among the generalities that we expect for our kids, but within them are the hidden, the undefined, the specifics that are yet to be discovered. Though the nest still offers its feathered comfort for those brief interludes between school, jobs, and social activities, I know it will be completely empty in the near future.  Therefore, as my children's lives evolve, my own role is changing as well.  My personal new beginning is on the horizon, and I step out on a different branch for my own solo flight.  Don't we all?  It's the nature of life and its continuous cycle of change. Whether it's entering a Promised Land after wilderness travel, going through the aging process, or experiencing the release of people in our lives, we are in a perpetual state of moving beyond the familiar into the unknown.  When life fades into eternity, the last transition will be traversed, and we will soar into our final new beginning. Perhaps, graduation and the host of other milestones in life are merely preparation for that transfer, the practice of ending, transitioning, and embracing the delight of our ultimate new beginning.

Tip/Tidbit:  What changes have you recently experienced? What new beginning are you facing?  What good things can you anticipate about the unknown that lies ahead?