I've been thinking...

Borrowed ::

"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7a (KJV)

The day started off just fine, but ended with confusion and tears. As a timid middle-schooler, I climbed the steps of my school bus eager to get home after a long afternoon.

Sitting quietly in my seat, all of a sudden I got this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Although my surroundings appeared to be the same, something was not right.

The bus was the normal sunshine yellow. The seats were standard black vinyl, displaying rips and tears from years of students. The floor was littered with the usual misplaced pencils, erasers and wadded-up papers. Yet, I felt out of place.

That's when I realized I did not know any of the kids sitting around me. And I had never seen the bus driver before. Frantically, I searched for anything familiar. My cheeks grew hot and my heart raced with panic as I realized I was on the wrong bus.

Although I WAS headed somewhere, it was NOT where I wanted to go.

I'd been distracted by conversations with friends, thoughts of sleepovers, and how much homework I had. My thoughts were not focused on where I was going. The actions that followed caused me to end up somewhere I did not want to be.

Thinking back on that day, I've considered how our thoughts determine a lot about the direction of our lives. Like my school bus, our thoughts will always take us somewhere, but it may not be somewhere we want to end up.

If we spend time thinking about how our boss does not appreciate us, our thoughts will take us straight to a bad attitude at work and possibly poor performance.

If we focus on how much we do for others and how little we feel appreciated, our thoughts will take us to a place of resentment, with lack of patience and love.

If we spend an entire day fuming over something our husband or kids did, and mentally practice the harsh words we plan to say to them, those thoughts will lead us into a place of arguments, hurt feelings and damaged relationships.

If we dwell on why God has allowed certain problems in our lives, we will transport ourselves into a state of insecurity and unhappiness as we stop trusting God.

If we focus our thoughts on money, career, success and pleasure, we will find ourselves in the land of the lost—feeling frustrated and discontent.

Our thoughts are powerful and need our navigation. If we allow them to run rampant in negative directions, focusing on things that lead us away from God's perspective, we will eventually end up stressed out - from the inside out.

In today's key verse, God shows us why we should choose carefully what we think about, because our thoughts determine who we are and how we live.

Reacting to stressful situations by becoming a chronically negative thinker will eventually increase our stress and possibly take us to a destination we would never choose.

My childhood memory reminds me to consistently ask God to help me keep my mind on Him and on the thoughts He has for me. That way I can live according to His plans and with His perspective, seeking to be acutely aware of where my thoughts may lead me.

Our thoughts really do have wheels. Where are your thoughts taking you today?

Times are rough sometimes, aren't they?

As I was talking to God last night, my mind kept wandering to friends of mine who are struggling.   As I'm asking God for His presence and peace in the life of one, I was reminded of the life of another who is facing a different struggle.  And again.  And again and again. Do you know what these different circumstances have in common?  I don't either.  My heart simply sees that my friends are hurting, and Satan is reveling in their pain.  It's an opportunity for him to plant doubt, worry and all sorts of questions in the minds of Godly women.

I realize that I have not walked the same path as each of them (or you), that I have not been faced with the same circumstances.  For many things that they are struggling with, I can not honestly say that "I've been there".  

What I CAN tell you - without hesitation or doubt of any kind - is that God is with you.  He loves you.  He sees your struggle.  And He is near.

No matter what you are facing - depression, doubt, the end of a relationship, the stress of career or debt, the loss of someone dear to  you, failure of any kind - doesn't matter.  I'm begging you to NOT lose hope.  Do NOT lose sight of God who loves you.  Do NOT turn away from Him. 

For in Him are all your needs.

Love you all.

Reflections

[1 Corinthians 3:16, 17  Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him.  For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.]

[I Corinthians 6:19, 20  Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.]

The above passages make references to our body, and the fact that our body is God's.  If we have chosen to follow him, we DO belong to God.  Not sure about you, but when I hear a biblical reference to my body (as in the above passages), my immediate interpretation is of a physical, sexual nature.  No affairs allowed, right?

But if we look at this passage a little broader - our body is much more than that.  We hear (and sometimes we actually listen); we think, talk, eat, walk, hug, growl, grimace, laugh... you get the picture. 

Hmmm.  Is that all there is to it?

What if we applied these verses to something besides a physical aspect?  What if we paid more attention to what went into our body via our eyes and ears?  What if we paid more attention to what came out of our body via our actions and words?

Our lives are not about us.  Our lives are about Him.  Always.  It's not about doing what we think or feel is right for us in our own eyes.   It's about reflecting Him.  Our selfish ways tend to justify the things we allow into our bodies...i.e., (via your ears & eyes) "I know that people don't really talk/act in real life like I'm hearing/seeing on this TV show."  "It's just entertainment."  "It's a good movie."  "They're my friends, and I don't act like they do." (or physically) "I think I'll marry him."  (or our actions)  "I don't have to speak to someone I don't know."  "She's so stupid."  I could go on and on and on with ways we can stop ourselves from allowing the selfishness to overtake the godliness.

Today...let's work on that together?  Because it's all about Him, and it's up to us to make sure our choices/actions reflect Him.  It's the only way we can reach others for the kingdom of God.

Be BEAUTIFUL!

[Psalm 139:14  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.]


[I Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."]

[Proverbs 31:3  Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.]

[1 Peter 3:3-4 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.]

[1 Timothy 4:8 Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next.]

__________________________________________________

Today, I went shopping for a new outfit to wear to a bridal shower tomorrow.  I was immediately reminded of why I shop only when absolutely necessary.... I HATE seeing myself in the dressing room mirror...Yikes!  And it's gotten worse over the last few months.  I'm ready for the magic pill that will make my extra pounds just m.e.l.t. away.  In chocolate, please.  (That's a fat joke!)

There are times when I am pretty hard on myself for the lack of physical beauty that is me.  I'm short, overweight, and have a jawline that I credit my maternal grandmother with.  Making matters worse, all the cute clothes are in tiny sizes.  The clothing options for anyone above a size 12 are quite limited, and often make the wearer look pregnant or 93.  And I avoid having photos made, because they look like me! 

But the verses above remind me that my true beauty isn't measured by the scale, or the opinion of someone else's standards.  It's HIS standards that concern me.  He looks at my heart... am I fostering the things that He says make me beautiful?  Do I fear the LORD?  Am I exercising my spirit?  Am I living and breathing the fruits of the spirit.. you know.. Love.  Joy.  Peace.  Patience. Kindness.  Goodness.  Faithfulness.  Gentleness.  Self Control. 

Don't get me wrong...I'm not okay with the extra numbers I see on the scale.  I will be focusing on that.  But the MOST important thing about my beauty is not about what I see in the mirror. It's about what is seen on the outside (my actions towards others, my words, my worship, my service, etc.) because of what I have on the inside... I have the creator of the universe Who has adopted me as His own.   And He tells me that I am fearfully and wonderfully made!

But it doesn't stop there.  He commands me to spread the word.

(...to be continued...)

Bless the Lord, o my soul

...my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever." (Psalm 30:12)

Not that anyone cares, but I have been singing this song for weeks now. Not sure why, but it's one of those things that just hasn't gone away. No complaints, it is a beautiful song of worship. I think it's made me think about the lyrics, the meaning, etc. I am learning to LIVE it. If you have iTunes or some way to download this song, I highly recommend the live version off the Passion White Flag album. Matt Redman does a great job of engaging you in true worship. (The verse above is on his website.) Oh, and turn the volume up a bit. :)

(CHORUS)
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

(CHORUS)

You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

(CHORUS)

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore!

Is there anyone among us who hasn't had their feelings hurt by the words of another?  Maybe you've  been told something that made you squeal in delight?  Maybe something they said made you angry...or grateful. Maybe excited, or scared.   Good and bad.  Positive and negative.  Affirmation and doubt. 

All in the power of words.  A few letters thrown together, and verbalized by someone.  Those words have the power to crush even the strongest of us.  They can also serve as a building block of a tender soul.

[1 John 4:11  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.]

[I Timothy 4:12(b) .. be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love...]

[Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.]

[Ephesians 4:29  Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification.]

It seems as the words from the Bible are clear..our words should reflect God and His work in our life.  He loved us, so we should love one another...and we should be an example in our words.  Corrupt words aren't welcome.  Edification is. 

Are you willing to put this into action?  Pick five people over the next three days, and tell them something that will lift their spirit.  Tell someone how they've impacted your walk with God...or maybe you have someone in your life who is struggling spiritually - share a verse with them, or pray for them (IN THEIR PRESENCE).  If you know someone who is seeking God's path for their life - Psalm 119:105 is a perfect verse to affirm their walk.  Just find a way to encourage and edify those in  your life.  It may be a little uneasy for you at first, but I promise you that it will be worth it and it'll get easier the second time.

The people you run into on a daily basis...those are the ones He meant when he said He loved the world! 

Five people, three days.  Do it!!!  Ready...set... GO!!!!

What does Contentment look like?

I've had this on my mind for the last few weeks or so, and as I've prayed about it and looked for verses that affirm the idea of contentment, I have been convicted about my own guilt in this. It is so easy to see "flaws" in others, but the same "flaw" tends to be a little more difficult to see it in the mirror.  Umm..there may be a Bible verse that refers to that (emphasis added, obviously, is mine)...

• Matthew 7: 3-5:  “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

How often is it that we see the speck in another, but totally ignore the plank in our own eye.  Hmm... the plank seems to be the one that needs most attention, wouldn't you say?  So..this post is my confession and acknowledgement that I'm working on removing the plank from my own eye.

The plank?  Lack of contentment.  Always wanting more, as if God hasn't given me more than too much.

Just a few examples of things that I recognize ...

• Seeing something that I like, and thinking I MUST have it.  Doesn't matter what it is... a ring, a pair of sunglasses, a piece of cookware.  Just because I like it, admire it, whatever, does NOT translate into I MUST HAVE IT!  Sheesh...how much money can I save by remembering that I can admire that dress (or whatever) without buying it.
• Complaining - whether by my words or by my attitude - that someone else has more of anything than I do.  Big flipping deal if my neighbor has a bigger house than I do.  Whoopty do if my coworker went to the East Coast.  La De Da if my sister has a bigger closet that mine.   Am I hungry? No.  Am I homeless?  No.  Am I heaven bound?  Yes.  Did Jesus DIE for me?  Yes.  Really, what else matters? 

The anecdote...

• [Philippians 4:4  Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice!]
• There's a short little word in there that makes a big impact - "always"  So I will rejoice!

• [1 Timothy 4:12  Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith and your purity.]
• In what I say, and in the way I live... I will say kind things, I will not say things that are whining in nature.  I will live in gratitude.  The way I love will follow suit.

• [Ephesians 4:29  Don’t let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up.]
• Building others up... I don't believe that my constantly worrying about what others have will allow me the spirit to be able to edify others, but my gratitude will. 

• [Proverbs 15:13  A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken.]
• Good golly be joyful!!!  We have SO MUCH to be joyful about!  SO MUCH!!!!  

• [Philippians 2:14 - 15  Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.]
• Paying special attention here:  ...ALL things without complaint or dispute...we are shining as lights of the world!   I'll be the first to admit that I'm not always shining as God's light.  Ouch.

A few verses for you... Food for thought, if you will. 

    

[1 John 4:11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.]

[Matthew 22:37  Jesus replied:  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.]

[1 Timothy 6:6-8  Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.  But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.]

[Matthew 6:33  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.]

[Luke 12:15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.]

May 26

Sometimes we are the only path to God that others will see...I will be more mindful of that as I walk through my days...I'll be choosing words and attitudes, smiles and hugs, prayers and affirmation. 

I'll work very hard to NOT choose to use my words to criticize, ridicule or patronize anyone - even if my words are only in my thoughts.  I don't want to say or do anything that would be detrimental to Christ, His love, and His kingdom's work.  I fail with this, but I'm trying.

I want my attitudes towards others - and life in general - to be one of love and acceptance of their humanity, not one that says I'm better than you because I do/don't  ___________________________________ (fill in the blank here...).

My smile needs to be a reflection of the deep gratitude and humility of all that God has given me.  He has given me His son as payment for my sin.  I could never in a brazillion years deserve that.  Period.  And He has chose to bestow many, many, many, many more blessings in my life.

My prayers need to reflect things that will make a difference for His kingdom.  And they need to reflect that He is priority for me.  It's taken me a long time to turn my prayers from my selfish desires to genuinely seeking to be used of Him.  His work THROUGH me...Him using me, not me using Him.

It's a tall order, this Christian walk.  But I'm pretty sure it's do-able.

So let's do it together. :)  You in?

Slowing down

[Psalm 46:10a Be still, and know that I am God.]

Be still, and know that I am God.

If you are like me - and I know most of you are - there's a lot going on...work, class, relationships, church, finals, cleaning, etc. Add to this all the things we do for fun, our phones, iPads, Twitter, Facebook, Pandora, Harry Potter, The Notebook, Pinterest, TV, the internet, and on and on. How on earth can we be still?? Don't get me wrong, I think each of these has a place and a purpose. I suspect, though, that they far too often serve as distractions from our being still.

Why do we find it so difficult to turn all this off, even for just a little while? I think we often exhibit a little bit of 'down time ADD'..no one wants to turn it off, or put it all away. It's too boring. You think you need to be up and doing something... 'cause there's ALWAYS something that needs to be done, right?

Be still, and know that I am God.

Do you really want to be closer to God, or do you want to be closer to Him because it's the right thing to say? Do you really want to find your purpose, or do you think maybe it'll fall in your lap because that's what God wants? Do you really want to strengthen your prayer life, or are you satisfied with "Dear God, thank you for Your blessings. Amen."?

Be still, and know that I am God.

If you REALLY want to be closer to Him, and for Him to guide your steps..if you REALLY want to be a Woman of Faith, a prayer warrior..if you REALLY decide to choose Him...If you REALLY want to know learn to serve Him with all you have...Take the time, MAKE the time to sit down, literally. Turn it off, all of it, for a couple hours. Get your Bible, and read. Romans 12, Proverbs 31, Titus, James, Ruth... Pray, read, and take notes. Talk to Him. Ask Him to work THROUGH you. Devote yourself to this time with Him. Take the time to honor these twin commands to not panic and recognize His sovereignty. Take the time to do what He said..

Be still, and know that I am God

Gotta make a choice

God. We’ve all heard about Him, many of us believe that He exists. Some know Him, or talk to Him, and there are those who wonder about Him. Still others curse Him. You will have to choose Who He is to you.

You will show the world (at least your little part of it) who God is to you, and you will do it every single day. You will do it by your choices.

That little word..choices..keeps coming up, doesn't it? When you were a small child, you learned how to make choices. Did your mom let you pick out what to wear? Did you help choose what to serve for dinner? As you've aged and matured, your choices are far more important, and far more revealing.

You'll see and feel the importance of your choices from here on out. You will choose a career..a car..a friend..a spouse..a home..debt..activities..integrity.. Will you push the envelope a tiny bit further each time you stretch the truth to someone? Will you become accustomed to stretching the truth?

Your choices - big decisions or smaller ones - will reflect your character, morals, standards. If you are a Christian - a follower, a disciple of Christ - those around you will pay attention to the small decisions you make. They'll expect your larger choices to be made in the same way.

Are the choices you made today reflective of Christ? Will someone doubt Him because of the way you reacted to someone? Did you laugh at that man you saw at the grocery store? Did you "share" your work with someone? Did you lie to the waiter at the restaurant to get a discount on your meal?

Someone is watching and listening to you - LOTS of someones are watching and listening to you. Make your choices reflective of Him! See people the way He does!

Today is the first day?

I'm sure we have all heard the saying "Today is the first day of the rest of your life". While that is one of those things that you kinda think "Duh, of course it is! Can't go back and start over!", it is also one of those epiphany moments when you see the proverbial light bulb.

Today, indeed, is the first day of the rest of our lives. Many of us (me included) are making plans for the future, whether it's college to prepare for a career, a boyfriend who may be THE one.. maybe it's an apartment you are looking for to move to after college. Or maybe you've decided to sell your house, and you gotta figure out where to go from here. Maybe it's time to look for another job, instead of the one you've had for a while. Hard decisions, all of them.

But today is also the day that you will choose to live out your faith or not. You will choose - either by doing, or by not doing - to put God in your life, your choices, your attitude. Do you see Him when you look at others... you know, annoying girl in your class..or the instructor who didn't cut you a break...the woman at Walmart who wasn't dressed in a manner that you would be...the driver who cut you off as you were late...the girl who made a rude gesture to you...the student who tried to cheat off your paper...the angry customer who snapped at you... Far, far too often, we choose to make fun of these people, or to bad-mouth them behind their back. It's easy to see something or someone and make fun of it...but I think that often speaks more to our character than whoever is on the receiving end of our jokes.  How many of us watch "reality" television shows, only to laugh out loud at their missteps?   Probably not so much like Jesus, huh?

[John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believed on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.]

Best I can tell from reading the Bible - "the world" meant everyone. EVERYONE. Not just the handsome guys or pretty girls, or the ones successful in business. Not only the wealthy. Not just the classy or kind. Not only the ones who make pretty good life decisions. Not just "us"... but also "them"...including Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden, Susan Smith, Timothy McVeigh, OJ Simpson....and billions others.

We are ALL sinners. Some of us choose Jesus, some of us do not. But the death of Jesus was for every single, solitary soul that is born on this earth.

I hope today is the first day of the rest of your life that you choose Jesus. Put these into practice today: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control. [Galatians 5:22-23]

Your Example to Others

[I Timothy 4:  12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.]

These verses often serve as reminders and encouragement to us...but we also sometimes tend to focus on the "youth" part of this passage, and neglect the rest of it.  

First, a little background..The books of Timothy were not written by him, but rather to him.  The Apostle Paul led Timothy to Christ, and Timothy had accompanied Paul for 15-20 years, traveling, ministering, being discipled, being imprisoned, etc., all in service to God.  At the time of the above verses, though, Timothy was pastor of a church, and Paul was telling him to not let the people of the church look down on him because he was in his 30's - which was YOUNG in Greek culture.   He was telling Timothy to be an example (to his elders, mind you!) in WORD - the manner in which he spoke to people; in CONDUCT - his righteous lifestyle; in LOVE - his selfless service to others; in SPIRIT - his demeanor; in FAITH - faithfulness to God; and in PURITY - most especially sexual purity.

In verse 13, Paul is challenging Timothy to be diligent in his practice of reading the Word.  He is also saying to him that he must challenge others (exhortation) who hear God's word to apply it in their daily lives.

So what's in it for us?  

We don't want others to look down on us, do we?  Of course not.  But sometimes I think that this "don't judge me" attitude is simply the feeling we all have at one time or another - you know...that feeling that says "I got this"!  It's hard for us to admit that we are young, because we are always wanting so much to be older.  I can remember as a child having to throw in that "and a half" to whatever my age was at the time.  5 and a half, 8 and a half 10 and a half... Then when you're in junior high school, you can't wait to get to high school.  Then you can't wait to get out.  Then you want to be 21.  Then what?   Too often, we rush through our lives (we all do), without taking the time to put into practice all the things that we've learned along the way....we are in too much of a hurry to get somewhere, and most of us have no idea exactly where that is.

Take the time to examine - really, deep down, examine - the things listed above...WORD, CONDUCT, LOVE, SPIRIT, FAITH, PURITY.  What example are you being in these areas?  Write them down if you need to.  Talk to God about it.  Are you selflessly serving others?  Are you speaking to others in a manner that is glorifying God?  What about your conduct?  Your faith?  Are you keeping your body (all of it!!!) pure?  We will all fall short on these...and it's not to late to start, or to start over. 

Think about it, pray about it, and put it into practice!  

A little reminder