Thoughts on Excellence

Okay - so I was thinking today - as a daughter of the most high God I am royality. I am called to excellence. But what is excellance. I came to a conclusion. Excellence is not perfection, so what is it really. By definition it is (1)the fact or state of excelling; superiority; eminence (2) an excellent quality or feature. There is also excellency (1) a title of honor given to certain high officials (2) a person so entitled. So what does this really mean to me?

I am a person entitled to living in a state of excelling. (Okay wow, that was so not planned but really awesome.) Really that sums it up right there. As a daughter of God I am entitled; it is my right; to live a blessed life, an excelling life. I like that term excelling - it gives a feeling of countiuation. I am not just blessed - there is a finality around that word. I am excelling - everyday is getting better and even in the bad times I am moving forward. excelling also doesn't speak of "good getting better" it whispers of "wherever I am at right now, I am not stopping I am moving forward". I hope that make sense on paper. It does in my heart.

So how do become excellence. I believe that being excellent means being forgiving but also accountable. being excellence means there is a set pattern of procedures to help make sure that mistakes don't happen, but when mistakes do happen (becuase they do happen, we are human) looking at the pattern of procedures and constantly revewing them and changing them for the better. You have to be flexible but firm. You have to be flexible enough to work around the unforseen things that happen in life, yet firm in your beliefs and your standards.
It is easy to look the things we produce in life (like bulletins or artwork) and hold it to a level of excellence. You can look at something on paper and say okay this image lines up with this text, this graphic is large enough. It is harder to apply these statements to life. There is no printout for you to look at and ask yourself "Do these standards I live by at home line up with the words I preach to those around me?" "Is the image of Christ that I am portraying to my friends large enough?".

So how do we live with excellence? How do I sum up my thoughts? Here is my new life motto:
Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, freely gave his life so that through his blood I may become a noble daughter of the most high God, entitled to living an excelling life.

Lord, help me live a life of excellence. Help me stay humble. You gave your life so that I can be a queen. I am an answer. Lord, help me look at my life everyday and refine it to be the an example of love, joy, truth, honor and all of the things you have called me to be. Help me apply the ways of excellence I have learned to my own life. Only you see the picture of my destiny, let me be a good steward of the snapshots I see.