Tuesday, September 01, 2015

Good Intentions

Things I would like to do (in no particular order just off the top of my head): Learn to play an instrument, piano?, Organize our house, Write what's in my head without feeling like I'm going crazy, Take time for devotions, Spend more time with my nieces and nephews, Encourage people, Enjoy life, Live in the moment.

Sounds easy, right? "Like" to do, so why not just do it? We all have a to-do list, goals, dreams, intentions. Call it whatever you like.

The dictionary definition of an intention is: the thing that you plan to do or achieve : an aim or purpose 

Basically, an intention is something we mean to do. It may or may not happen, but we plan on doing it.

We can make lots of plans, but until we actually take some steps to DO something it remains an intention. As a recovering procrastinating perfectionist, intentions could be my downfall. I will hesitate to try something or put it off because I may not do it well or to the standards I have in my head.

For example: I can want to play the piano, but if I never learn to read music or take a lesson my days of tickling the ivories probably will not happen. I could start to doubt and question myself before I even start so I don't start.

Apparently, the saying goes, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

Hell isn't merely paved with good intentions; it's walled and roofed with them. Yes, and furnished too. - Aldous Huxley

While looking up some info to write this, the word intentional also came up. Since one of the intentions I have is to take time for devotions, I have some work to do! I will have to be more intentional about my intentions!

Philippians 3:12 (NIV) Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Colossians 2:2 (NIV) My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,

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