“NEXT” is way better than what “USED TO BE”!!!!

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Today’s Blog Post


“NEXT” is way better than what “USED TO BE”!!!!

What a week this has been! Whew! I kind of wonder what happened at times in that so much has happened. Wow!

If I start last week on the Saturday morning and the whole day at the Fibre Festival, no wonder it seems so full. I think I met close to 100 people last Saturday – that would be a conservative guesstimate.

We had a full day on Sunday as we took part in the church service at Marmora… then home for more work in Peterborough.

Monday was plugged full as well as Tuesday

Then Wednesday was another full day of demonstrations at the Peterborough Square… Thursday was full and so was Friday.

In each of the pockets of time at home I worked on our Basement Renovations. We are about 50% done now with the major part of the area complete. This has meant more trips to Home Depot – over and over again. Thank goodness that it is only about six blocks away! You can’t imagine the people I meet at HD!

You didn’t need to know all that… but I use it as my “hook” for what I would like to share with you.

Since retiring from active, fulltime ministry in a church I have wondered at the new purpose that I have in life now. Retiring meant leaving all that other busy-ness behind. “What would I do when I retire?” was my main question for years before it happened.

Now I know the answer. It is all about “Community Engagement”, almost every day of the week. I meet and help people in any and every way that I can. And that makes me happy… fulfilled… and rejuvenated in everyway.

Through the things that I do in the community I meet more than 100 every week. I listen to their stories and try to empathize with them.

Through this Blog I “meet” over 100 each day…now totaling about just under 75,000 in two and half years (965 posts on this particular blog).

Through the two other Web Sites - http://tattingwhisperer.wordpress.com/  and http://www.murraylincoln.com/  the numbers almost stagger me. The Tatting Web Site’s biggest day was 750 in one day. The Misty Hollow Site (with my name) runs up to 450 an hour at times.

A special ministry that I embarked on two and half years ago is dear to my heart as well. Each day I simply pray for our elected Provincial Leaders in Ontario. One of the tools that I use to engage the world of politics is the Blog that I do each day - http://prayforleaderstoday.blogspot.com/  As of today it is now had 18,463 visitors to it. The stream is steady as people come to pray with me – or find out who is praying for them. I truly believe that this site as made a real difference in the lives of some very important and wonderful people in our province.

The conversations that I have had with the elected folk and their staff has been a blessing. They bless me more than I do them. I am sure of that now.

In 2008 when the terrible day came that I walked out of my old office for the last time at the church… I wondered – “What next?” Now approaching that anniversary date in a few months… I can now say I know the “NEXT” – or at least I am discovering it each day. And “NEXT” is way better than what “USED TO BE”!!!!

Say that is a great title for this post!

What is your “NEXT” filled with? Let go of “USED TO BE” and look forward to “WHAT MIGHT BE?”

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/