Good Morning Girls!  At the cabin there is a rock formation across the lake that looks like a whale coming out of the water.  We call it Whale Rock (original huh?).  Every day a few of us would "Swim the Rock".  It takes about 20 minutes round trip if you swim at a steady, cardio pace.   Someone needs to paddle alongside us in the paddle boat so any boats that are on the lake will be sure to see us.  One morning I was anxious to get my morning swim in, but there was no one available to go in the paddle boat.  I decided I would do laps between our swim buoys for 30 minutes instead.  It just wasn't the same.  I didn't swim as hard because there was no destination, no end, no reward.  When I swim the rock I try to go as fast as I can so I get it over with.  When I swim the buoys, it was much more leisurely.  The other downfall was the fact that I was just a few strokes away from the dock.  If I felt tired, I could easily swim to the dock, instead of pressing through like I do on the rock swim.  The dock was there, calling out to me "Jen, just come, get some more coffee, relax, take a break".  It was torture.  I swam for 20 minutes and was done.  I did not have the same feeling of satisfaction that I feel when swimming the rock.  I have found this to be the same in most areas of my life.  It is much better to have a goal, a destination, a plan.  If you write it down, it is there facing you each day.  A commitment.  An acknowledgment that at one time, your hearts desire was to accomplish a specific thing.  Then, when the dock starts calling out to you, you can look at your goal, review your plan, and press through.  Any time you want to accomplish something new, you need a clear plan.  You need a start date, an end date, and a plan of how to get from start to finish.  The finish is the most important.  If you do not have your own "Rock" set before you, you will swim back to the dock when things get tough.  God is the original planner!  He knows the end from the beginning.  He knows how we will get there!  From the start, He had our salvation planned!   We are told that God has plans to prosper us.  He has a plan so great for us, no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined it!  He had plans for Abraham.  He had plans for Noah.  He had plans to build the temple.  Everything God does is planned.  He doesn't wake up each day and look down on us and wonder "hmmm, what should I do today?".  No, He has it all planned out.  Before there was time, there was a plan.  Heaven is your destination, your ultimate rock!  Take time today to ask the Lord for help in making some plans towards a new goal in your life.

Isaiah 25:1 O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God.  You do such wonderful things!  You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them

...and you will accomplish yours too!

Love you all-
Jen