Sunday, September 25, 2011

Back to the Future—Rowboats, Timelines, and Goal-Setting


Free Sample Microsoft Timeline Template

A component of the Beth Moore Bible Study, “Believing God,” was to complete a timeline of our life in 10 year segments, asking God to reveal to us all the spiritual mile markers in our lives…broken places, hurts, disappointments, accomplishments, and joyful times…to help us see that God had been there all along…His grace is sufficient. 

To accomplish this task, I discovered a very helpful tool for a “Timeline Template” through Microsoft. It’s free, and it’s very easy to use, the text boxes expand to whatever size you need, and the arrows on the boxes can be moved to any location on the timeline. 

I have copied the link for this “Timeline Template” ….it really helped me to get my thoughts on paper, and God has used it to heal me in so many ways...Here’s the link…

The Hebrew concept of time is like a person rowing a boat. We see where we have been, we back into the future. I can clearly see that God has been there with me all along. I am not stuck in the past, I am rowing into the future, moving forward, proactive, with my focus, my mindset, on God, who is sovereign. He sees the past, the present, and the future all-at-once. 

Morning after morning in my quiet time, I bring myself back to the Cross of Christ…as I bow before Him, I experience anew His forgiveness, redemption, mercy, and grace, as I sense His blood dripping over the Crown of Thorns pressed into His brow, onto my heart, covering my sin, and I get up from my knees wearing His Robe of righteousness as I face the day ahead…rowing into the future. 

What are your thoughts?                                                                                                                         

Consider asking yourself these creative thinking questions as you set goals for the future…
  • In what ways might I use this timeline template for creative problem-solving and goal-setting?
  • In what ways might I use this timeline template to project my hopes and dreams for the future?
  • In what ways might I use this timeline template to visualize my spiritual mile markers for the future?
(c) 2011 beth willis miller

6 comments:

  1. I am looking for a Mac version of this template. Sounds like a great tool for discovery as well as seeing your life in a different way.
    When you talk about hopes and dreams, a video I saw yesterday online comes to mind. http://www.bju.edu/news/2011-09-06-student-video.php?utm_source=News-Events&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=homepage&utm_campaign=RSS-News#.TmdtkvbV13r.email
    The Life Objective the pilot describes goes by so quickly, but a friend sent it to me if you are interested.
    Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Thank you so much for commenting on my blog and sharing the video link to the very moving testimony of Steve Scheibner, an American Airlines pilot whose life was spared when a more senior pilot bumped him from Flight 11 from Boston to Los Angeles the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. I paused the video to capture his Life Objective: "To seek, trust, and glorify God through humble service and continual prayer. To raise up qualified disciples as quickly as possible, so that one day I might hear God say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant!"...his Life Objective puts words to what is in my heart...thank you, again!

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  3. Hi Beth!
    I just discovered your wonderful godly blog and have been refreshed and encouraged spiritually by it.
    Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts in the Lord Jesus our Saviour.
    Through reading some of your posts I know I have come across a dear sister in the Lord.
    With love in Him alone,
    Sarah

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  4. Thank you, Sarah. I am following your blog too! It is so encouraging to have sisters in Christ with whom we can share our daily walk with our Lord and Savior, isn't it?

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  5. Great post, Beth! And thanks for sharing this tool! :)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Holley, I love your writing at http://holleygerth.com/

      many blessings,
      beth

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