Dotty Miller is one of those people you need to have in your life forever amber. Her perky character and personality never waver, and if it does, you will never know it.
She sends me THE most wonderful tag lines and upbeat messages. So I give her the credit for this
absolutely simple but perfect perspective. I am really all about positive reinforcement lately. I say Don't Borrow Trouble and I hate to admit it is not an original saying. You have heard it growing up, or at least the older generation heard it a lot.
I wrote a book about it - "Fix Your Future So It Does Not Reflect Your Past!" Same concept. The Bible is full of that concept. "Don't look back, keep your hand to the plow. . ."
Isaiah 43: 18 and 19 Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland!"
Pity parties don't last and if they do you need to seek professional help. Pity parties do not solve anything. You can NOT go back, don't look back. There is no way to redo or do a do-over. I have wanted to do that a million times. Self condemnation is so easy to do, get a whip out. A counselor would tell you that "Okay, go ahead from 5:00pm to 5:30PM you can have a self -loathing party and do it up right. Yell, Scream, and get a ball bat out to hit yourself on the head." It is quite humerous to hear a client say, "I am not going to do that, that is just silly." Oh really! Don't you do it as often as you can. "Well, but that is different!" No it is not different. How does it help you to look back
down the road. You Can Not Do It Over!!!
STOP! Stop at the stop sign and move forward. Learn from it, ask God's forgiveness. He said He was making a new way, did He not?
I just ordered a book called The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown. I will be sharing it with you down the road. That came today through another great friend Anna Bell. I love God's gifts to me in friendships.
So, turn around and go down the road facing forward. It's God's love and design for you. He forgives and forgets, WHY CAN'T YOU?
Friday, October 24, 2014
Saturday, October 18, 2014
DON'T BE THE GOD OF YOUR FANTASIES!
Once again, I have to share a writing from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. It blew my mind.
Anxiety is a result of envisioning the future without Me. so the best defense against worry is staying in communication with Me. When you turn your thoughts toward Me, you can think much more positively. Remember to listen, as well as to speak, making your thoughts a dialogue with Me.
If you must consider upcoming events, follow these rules:
1) Do Not linger in the future, because anxieties sprout up like mushrooms when you wander there.
2) Remember the promise of My continual Presence; include Me in any imagery that comes to mind. This mental discipline does not come easily, because you are accustomed to being the god of your fantasies.
However, the reality of My Presence with you, now and forevermore, outshines any fantasy you could ever imagine.
Ephesians 3: 20 and 21
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
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If that doesn't take your breath away, I don't know what will. Anxiety is the enemy's tool and he uses it well. It doesn't take much to get anxious over small and big things. But when He said, include me in any of those imagery things you do when you are fretting, fussing, stewing and steering that situation; it caught me off guard. How do you even do that? Well, if you take this seriously, and I pray you do, you will try reflecting on your situation with Him in the center of it. It should be quite the experience to suddenly feel peace and that He is with you (me) and He will work all things together for good. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be the god of anything, or worship anything that resembles being one. Think about this, this requires some focus and management skills.
I took this from a park bench over in the woods. It is a good place to reflect and ask God to show you (me) how to always be focused on placing Him in our mind and situation. James 4: 7 submit yourself unto God, resist the enemy and he will flee from you!
Anxiety is a result of envisioning the future without Me. so the best defense against worry is staying in communication with Me. When you turn your thoughts toward Me, you can think much more positively. Remember to listen, as well as to speak, making your thoughts a dialogue with Me.
If you must consider upcoming events, follow these rules:
1) Do Not linger in the future, because anxieties sprout up like mushrooms when you wander there.
2) Remember the promise of My continual Presence; include Me in any imagery that comes to mind. This mental discipline does not come easily, because you are accustomed to being the god of your fantasies.
However, the reality of My Presence with you, now and forevermore, outshines any fantasy you could ever imagine.
Ephesians 3: 20 and 21
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
======================================================================
If that doesn't take your breath away, I don't know what will. Anxiety is the enemy's tool and he uses it well. It doesn't take much to get anxious over small and big things. But when He said, include me in any of those imagery things you do when you are fretting, fussing, stewing and steering that situation; it caught me off guard. How do you even do that? Well, if you take this seriously, and I pray you do, you will try reflecting on your situation with Him in the center of it. It should be quite the experience to suddenly feel peace and that He is with you (me) and He will work all things together for good. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be the god of anything, or worship anything that resembles being one. Think about this, this requires some focus and management skills.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
THE GIVER OF GOOD GIFTS!
Something that I read this morning caught my eye and spirit. "Though I have brought many pleasures into your life, not one of them is essential." Whoa! that took some thought and then I read on about how He wants us to receive His blessings with open hands and open hearts, BUT. . .do not cling to them. Cling to the giver of gifts only.
That is the hardest thing we do, or should I say Americans especially. I can't speak for people overseas. I remember a hundred years ago if I was having fun on a vacation, I would get all bent out of shape getting ready to come home. I did not want to come home. What our Lord truly wants from us is total focus and attention. When we get an answer to prayer, that car problem turned into a small thing, or got to buy something terrific He wants gratitude yes! To utilize what He has given us and then give Him glory by using it well. BUT, never clinging to THINGS. Easier said then done. So I thought about that for awhile because I hear people who do cling to things and they cling to people.
Sometimes mothers get to living vicariously through their children. I remember one young woman who wanted to move with her high school graduate to college. She needed to be close and see that she did okay. I was floored. Ha! What right do I have to judge when I have done that with things, events, hobbies, and my dogs.
Psalm 62 is an excellent chapter where David points out how important our refuge - God - really needs to be.
Psalm 62: 6 - He only is my Rock and my salvation; He is my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be moved. And, there it is, I shall not be moved. We need not be shaken at bad news, or fear, or be unnerved. God's Got it!
This is why I journal. I recommend everyone journal even if it is only a paragraph. You need to go back over and reread things. Then you will see where He moved in a situation and brought change.
You forgot! We do forget sometimes, but remembering how and what God has done for us, helps us then to be able to take a hold of that shakky wheel you are encountering at the time.
It is really simple when you concentrate on the platform of your relationship with God. If it is shakky - firm it up. Recommit, and take that conviction to change. Fix your Future so it does not reflect your past. CHANGE is scary, but once you get used to paying attention to Him and only Him, it is a piece of cake.
James 1: 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all light, in Whom there can be no variation or shadow cast by His turning.
That is the hardest thing we do, or should I say Americans especially. I can't speak for people overseas. I remember a hundred years ago if I was having fun on a vacation, I would get all bent out of shape getting ready to come home. I did not want to come home. What our Lord truly wants from us is total focus and attention. When we get an answer to prayer, that car problem turned into a small thing, or got to buy something terrific He wants gratitude yes! To utilize what He has given us and then give Him glory by using it well. BUT, never clinging to THINGS. Easier said then done. So I thought about that for awhile because I hear people who do cling to things and they cling to people.
Sometimes mothers get to living vicariously through their children. I remember one young woman who wanted to move with her high school graduate to college. She needed to be close and see that she did okay. I was floored. Ha! What right do I have to judge when I have done that with things, events, hobbies, and my dogs.
Psalm 62 is an excellent chapter where David points out how important our refuge - God - really needs to be.
Psalm 62: 6 - He only is my Rock and my salvation; He is my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be moved. And, there it is, I shall not be moved. We need not be shaken at bad news, or fear, or be unnerved. God's Got it!
This is why I journal. I recommend everyone journal even if it is only a paragraph. You need to go back over and reread things. Then you will see where He moved in a situation and brought change.
You forgot! We do forget sometimes, but remembering how and what God has done for us, helps us then to be able to take a hold of that shakky wheel you are encountering at the time.
It is really simple when you concentrate on the platform of your relationship with God. If it is shakky - firm it up. Recommit, and take that conviction to change. Fix your Future so it does not reflect your past. CHANGE is scary, but once you get used to paying attention to Him and only Him, it is a piece of cake.
James 1: 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all light, in Whom there can be no variation or shadow cast by His turning.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
SILENCE!
I did have a plan for originality today, but I can't HELP myself - I need to talk about Church today.
That was the most daring unusual service I have ever been to.
The Theme was going to be about Hiding Things Under the Rug, or Pushing Things Under the Rug!
It started with a woman reading scripture from Ps 46: 10 about how God is our refuge and to be quiet before Him, wait for Him, Know He is God. A noise started to take place, phones ringing, people talking, babies crying etc. Until you couldn't hear her. Then on either screen for 10 minutes at least, just written words about how hard it is to be quiet, to be silent, people are afraid of silence. It is uncomfortable and comforting all at the same time. You began to quiet down yourself. It was quiet and relaxing. Then we were to pray quietly - The Acts prayer style. Acknowledge God, Confess, Thank Him and Supplicate through asking for your requests. The choir sang a specific number which you just knew not to clap afterwards. It was about Jerusalem.
Then the sermon on BUSYNESS. This is a sin very few people talk about and usually brush under the rug. It is so hard to pin point what does it mean. When Jesus said "It is Finished". . .there was still people who needed Jesus, there was still worldwide hunger, there was still war, so what does it mean that you have the confidence to know you have done what you could do. And, there it is, how do you know when its all busyness and not FOCUS on things you should do and do them with quality? This is something we need to ponder, because I have always been about busyness, how about you? I realized that I have slowed down and don't say yes all the time, but I am still wondering have I been effective, did I do it all to the Glory of the Lord. There are things I became quite convicted about that I need to now turn and address. And, ask God to help me do them. I surely can't do it all by myself.
Do you need to do the same thing?
That was the most daring unusual service I have ever been to.
The Theme was going to be about Hiding Things Under the Rug, or Pushing Things Under the Rug!
It started with a woman reading scripture from Ps 46: 10 about how God is our refuge and to be quiet before Him, wait for Him, Know He is God. A noise started to take place, phones ringing, people talking, babies crying etc. Until you couldn't hear her. Then on either screen for 10 minutes at least, just written words about how hard it is to be quiet, to be silent, people are afraid of silence. It is uncomfortable and comforting all at the same time. You began to quiet down yourself. It was quiet and relaxing. Then we were to pray quietly - The Acts prayer style. Acknowledge God, Confess, Thank Him and Supplicate through asking for your requests. The choir sang a specific number which you just knew not to clap afterwards. It was about Jerusalem.
Then the sermon on BUSYNESS. This is a sin very few people talk about and usually brush under the rug. It is so hard to pin point what does it mean. When Jesus said "It is Finished". . .there was still people who needed Jesus, there was still worldwide hunger, there was still war, so what does it mean that you have the confidence to know you have done what you could do. And, there it is, how do you know when its all busyness and not FOCUS on things you should do and do them with quality? This is something we need to ponder, because I have always been about busyness, how about you? I realized that I have slowed down and don't say yes all the time, but I am still wondering have I been effective, did I do it all to the Glory of the Lord. There are things I became quite convicted about that I need to now turn and address. And, ask God to help me do them. I surely can't do it all by myself.
Do you need to do the same thing?
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