1565 Next Level Month

God is the giver of this new month of life. Our written goals are our thank you letter to him. We say thank you in the most genuine of ways … we tell him all the ways we intend to use, savor, and enjoy the gift.

Isn’t this a perspective shift on your goals? It’s not a to-do list of all you have to do, it’s a gratitude list of all the ways you’re going to use the gift of time you’ve been given.

Since I started viewing my goals as gratitude in action, achieving those goals has felt a whole lot more like a blessing instead of a burden.

This revelation came to me several years ago after purchasing a wedding gift for my nephew and his new bride. I bought them a large wooden serving tray with handles. A few weeks later, I received a thank you card for the gift. The standard thank you card simply says, “thank you for the gift”. The great thank you card says, “thank you for the wooden serving tray.” But the next level thank you card is what I received, and it’s forever changed the way I say thank you.

The card I received said, “Thank you for the beautiful wooden serving tray. I’m so excited to serve breakfast on our patio on this tray. Our coffee morning dates will be so sweet with this special tray. It will be used and treasured and we will think of you every time.”

WOAH! See what I mean? That’s next level.

We are girls designed to live next level. We have been blessed beyond measure, now it’s time we show next level gratitude for the gift of life we have been given.

Today’s devotional is a continuation of yesterday. Yesterday, on day 1 of this new month of life, we considered what a true gift February is. Oh, the opportunities and the blessings it holds. While most receive this gift without an awareness of it’s precious nature, we are called to next level living, and we will rise to the challenge to receive it with full awareness.

This is LIFE, and it is being offered to us. Priceless days are here in the offering. Divine opportunities are aligned for us. Beauty designed in the mind of the Almighty and delivered by his gracious hands. It’s all here for us. Us next level girls will show next level gratitude!

There are four parts to this next level living:

* Seek God* Make Plans* Surrender Our Plans* Praise Him In Advance

So first, we seek God. As Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:7, we’re asking, we’re seeking and we’re ready to try! God, what do you have for us here this month? We want what you want. We will work for it!

Second, we make plans. Those are our goals. Plans of how we will use these days given to us. Plans of how we will grow and get better. Plans of making the changes God prompts us to make to become more of who he created us to be. Plans of being faithful with all that has been given to us. Plans of putting him first and seeking everything he has available to us. And remember, we will see him in all of it. As we use the days he has given us, we will think of the one who has given it all to us!

And that brings us to today, parts 3 and 4 of our next level living of the extreme gift of life that has been given to us.

* SURRENDER YOUR PLANS

Sometimes we make plans, then plans don’t go our way. Why is that? Is God being cruel?

Let me tell you something, God doesn’t love sitting on his throne wrecking your plans. He loves conspiring with you to do ridiculously good things. He loves partnering with you in the impossible. With his power,