Tag Archive | Spirit Life

Regaining Strength

Nov4

I have been absent lately for a couple of reasons.

The one I’m comfortable sharing, is that I spent last week with my husband doing some online classes for the non profit that we operate here in our town.

It was an amazing time of learning, with some really diverse group of folks; all colorful, and wise in their own rights.

The other reason, bothers me to consider.

Just a little.

I enjoy encouraging others, and being someone they can look up to, and to be a soft place to land for those who need it.

So here is the truth; It snuck up on me.

You would think that with all the extra hours, I could do enormous amounts of work.

But, I found myself exhausted in my mind and in my body.

My doctor is helping me with the physical part.

My heart and mind had run amuck, and needed to go back to a different place.

I’ll tell you, it is a place of worship.

Intentionally.

On purpose.

Every day.

I am slowly getting back in touch with my own self.

Regardless of news headlines.

Regardless of what others think of it.

I am as resistant to change as anyone I know, but I must return to keeping my eyes on the Holy Trinity.

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

In them alone my thoughts, words and deeds must be centered.

Only then can the joy of the Lord be my strength. (Nehemiah 8:10b)

I want to be able to encourage again.

I want to be able to on the front row when people need a little support.

People need strong arms and hands to help them these days.

I want to be that.

So, I am on my way back.

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Matthew 9:36-38 (ESV)

Until next time …

P.O.W.

Oct27

“We will either be Prisoners of Worship, or Prisoners of Worry. ”

In the Bible, when the worshippers went in first, the battle was always won.

“We can have joy, joy, joy, and die, or we can worry, worry, worry, and die. I choose joy.”

(Quote from last week)

Matthew 6:27 (NIV) Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

We get to choose which prisoner we will be.

Since this is true, I’ll choose joy, and live happier life knowing that my worship will move God’s hand, for my good.

How will you approach the days we face?

With joy, or with worry?

Something to think about.

Until next time …

What’s grabbing You?

Dec16

Who are you quoting?

What thoughts are you having?

What life are you living?

“We go where we look” Tim McGraw

“If you build it, he will come.” Kevin Costner

“Inside of me there are two dogs. One is mean and evil and the other is good and they fight each other all the time. When asked which one wins I answer, the one I feed the most.” Sitting Bull

“If you feed them they will come” Bruce Martin – About church functions.

We’ve all heard these kinds of sayings.

Do we take them seriously?

Probably, but only for a moment.

Then our usual habits sneak back in, and we find ourselves doing the same things over and over again.

It takes some real tenacity to continue on the road to success; whatever you deem that success to be.

What I’m about to share with you is basically the same thing.

Whatever you give you time to, helps to create who you are.

So with the next two quotes, I’ll give you my personal recommendation.

These two ideas were placed in my head several years ago, (2008?) they grabbed me, and have had me ever since.

This is not to say that I get them right all of the time, but it is to say that I have found them tremendously helpful.

The person speaking was Graham Cooke.

First; “If you don’t like the thought you’re having, then have another thought.”

Second; “Opposition attaches itself to what you do not remove.”

So how does this removal work?

How can I do that?

By reinventing your walk in the Fruit of the Spirit.

People spend copious amounts of time trying to reinvent themselves, only to find themselves the same, or worse than they were before.

Only by REMOVING the old thoughts, can the new ones take over.

I refer you to the Holy Bible,  Galatians 5.

The whole chapter is enlightening, but I point you to verse 22-23 which says; But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Against such things there is no law; simply means you can’t go wrong!

This means to me that there is great power in these fruits.

So here’s the thing;

If in your life you are seeing the opposite; hatred, bitterness, anger, strife, jealousy,

(The list is long I suppose, and different for each of us.)

then I would encourage you to choose the “Fruit” that is opposite of your issue, and

“Have another thought”.

Look where you’re going.

Feed the right thing.

Build a place inside you where the “Fruit” can be attracted to and grow.

Feed the right things – and more will begin to appear in your mind and in your heart.

One last quote;

“You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet, and the books you read.” Charlie Tremendous Jones

I encourage you to choose your reading, your friends, and your thinking wisely.

It makes all the difference.

Until next time.

**http://Grit & Grace: Train the Mind, Train the Body, Own Your Life; by Tim McGraw

** Kevin Costner as Ray – Field of Dreams – 1989.