Tag: faith and spirituality

Don’t Be Deceived…

I was recently reminded to be a bit more mindful and not merely act on what I “think” I see.

Our enemies aren’t always obvious. They rarely arrive with a pitchfork and horns.

Some are flatterers, even endearing. Many are manipulative and masters of illusion, leading us to make assumptions that can cause us great harm.

Upon closer inspection, I realized the “bee” in the photograph was hardly a bee.  Instead it is a wasp, to which I am highly allergic. There are no less than six Epi-pens stashed around my home!


Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
1 Peter 5:8 NKJV

It is impossible to resist our adversary if we can’t recognize him.

And then there are times we are so eager to receive what we want, we refuse to acknowledge the pitfalls that lie ahead.

The serpent deceived Eve because she desired something she could not have.

Jacob was deceived into marrying Leah instead of Rachel. Had he known the youngest could not marry before the firstborn, I think Jacob would have negotiated a better deal than fourteen years of servitude!

When in doubt, check it out.

Ask questions.

Investigate.

Pray!

I’ve slowly learned to listen to God when my gut is screaming “Danger!”

Every good deal is not a good deal.

Some “situations” that fuel anxiety are often distractions to keep us from fulfilling our purpose.

Don’t be deceived into thinking God doesn’t love you.

He does.

Don’t be deceived into thinking setbacks last forever.

They don’t.

Don’t be deceived by rhetoric that is contrary to God.

 All lies.

 Wise choices often precede a blessing. Ask God for wisdom and don’t be deceived…

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
James 1:5 NKJV

Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
James 1:16-17 NKJV

True Independence…

Freedom for black and white or red and blue
No increase for me at the expense of you

That faith not fear would rule this land
That justice could rule with an even hand

Would those who fought for the red, white and blue
Be honored and cherished for all they went through

We choose to stand tall and fight for what’s true
As some fuel a hate that would tear US in two

We, the people, yearn for an answered call
One nation, under God; liberty and justice for all

 “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness—”

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28 NKJV

High Hopes!

“Next time you’re found, with your chin on the ground
There’s a lot to be learned, so look around
Just what makes that little old ant
Think he’ll move that rubber tree plant
Anyone knows an ant, can’t
Move a rubber tree plant”

My hopes haven’t always been high.

I’ve always been a “realist” even as I prayed to God for the miracles I sought. It is only in the past four or five years that I realized I wasn’t setting my “hopes” even remotely high enough.

As I began to see how God was using my son Lan to not only show me what He could do and would do for me, God also taught me to get my hopes up!

One small victory after another made me realize that I didn’t have to have the weight of the world on my shoulders. I somehow managed to let God be God and relax a little and truly trust God for the things I prayed for.

It has been my general experience that God responds to my level of expectation. The things I dare hope and dream for He brings (slowly) to fruition if I hope hard enough and trust that He can and He will.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:1-5 NKJV

 Hope does not disappoint.

I would rather hope for the best and be proven wrong than wallow in misery faithless.

Yes, there are things I will never understand. Yet, I cannot allow life’s disappointments to rob me of God’s peace when I choose to trust in Him.

Lan is asserting his independence more and more. He has “high hopes” for his future. If I tell him something’s not going to happen he just gives me “the look” learned from big brother that basically says I hear you but I’m not listening to a thing you say.

And that’s not always a bad thing.

I believe my past failures to hope as high as God would have me to do stem from listening to people instead of listening to God. If we are so tuned in to the multitude of “nos” coming from the choir, we will never hear God’s whispered “yes.”

Lan has confidence I never had at his age, partly because he had to work extremely hard to meet his goals. He learned far sooner than I ever did to tune out the “no.”

 I’m grateful to have come to a point where I can persevere and hope for God’s best fully aware that His best isn’t always what I want.

Hope does not disappoint.

“But he’s got high hopes, he’s got high hopes
He’s got high apple pie, in the sky hopes
So any time you’re gettin’ low
‘Stead of lettin’ go
Just remember that ant
Oops there goes another rubber tree plant”

 

**Songwriters: J. VAN HEUSEN, S. CAHN  High Hopes lyrics © BARTON MUSIC CORPORATION

Bend Don’t Break!

Everyone is guaranteed some form of hardship, storms, distress/duress that ultimately forges us into the people God would have us to become. Though not pleasurable experiences, our problems are necessary for our progression from one stage in life to another. The way we deal with these experiences determines how we will come out of them. Some people seem to make it through, scraped up a bit but they come out in one piece. Others, instead, succumb to situations and trials never to come out of them and instead become overcome or swallowed by circumstances. So what is the difference between making it through and remaining stuck in a particular situation?

The answer is simple.  Bend don’t break.

We all have the best laid plans. However, the plans for our life and God’s plans are not necessarily one and the same. Our expectations don’t always transform into our experiences. Delays and disappointments are inevitable. The people who make it through hardships aren’t broken by life’s surprises. Instead, they learn to bend.

Twigs snap. Quick and sudden stress causes them to break into pieces. People can also snap. It is when experiences become so extreme, circumstances are crazy and expectations unmet that we “lose it” and do things we would not do if we were in our “right mind.”

The propensity to bend means that we can weather a storm. We can withstand the course of whatever life throws our way.  It may be uncomfortable, hard and even painful but bending means we won’t become broken by disappointment.  Our attitude determines our outcome when we choose to bend a little.

  Sometimes we have to change our habits. At others, we have to change our minds. And then there are situations where we have to choose to give a little, possibly giving up our own expectations or desires, in order to push forward and even keep peace along our journey.  Being inflexible in our relationships and even our own preconceived ideas only limits us and sets us up to potentially  “snap” under pressure. We should always be willing to bend to some extent by choosing to learn, mature, and submit to God.

Hardening our hearts and an unwillingness to listen to the counsel of others can leave us rigid, frail and easily broken.  Refusing to compromise can leave us frustrated and at odds with ever-changing  circumstances. Flexibility doesn’t dictate that we conform to the world. Flexibility allows us to move with God instead of remaining stuck where we are.

If you want peace of mind, be willing to change it when Divinely directed. If you wish to prosper, set goals but change them when God dictates. We can’t truly prosper out of God’s will. What worked yesterday won’t necessarily work today.  Don’t stay bound to the same ideas or experiences when God is trying to stretch your faith and do a new thing!

Listen when God speaks and then obey accordingly. God has challenged me do things I never would have imagined yet I can definitely say I’much better for it! I’ve been blessed when I chose to follow God instead of my own (sometimes crazy) inclinations.

Bend or Break?

The choice is ours to make!

Be Persistent!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, Hebrews 12:1 NIV

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Luke 18:1 NIV

  Persistence is something we must each embrace if we are going to obtain the very best God has for us. Each of us is called to finish our race. There will be trials and obstacles, distractions and pitfalls but we must push through if we are ever to reach the prize that awaits us at the end.

Persistence often separates those who could from those who would.

You don’t always have to be the most “qualified.” Sometimes all it takes to get ahead is showing up and having faith enough to step forward, no matter how small the step.

I admit that isn’t always easy. 

Some obstacles will look insurmountable. Many people will call you “unrealistic.” Still, we must muster up our faith and continue to walk toward our goals even when they seem impossible.

Like a marathon runner, we have to run through the pain. Sometimes we walk and then there are times all we can do is crawl. Our cheerleaders won’t always stay the course. It is up to each one of us to endure our race full of expectation and determination even as doubt and fear loom on the sidelines.

No pain, no gain?

Oftentimes true.

Life sometimes hurts. There are disappointments. Failures and fatigue come with climbing uphill.

But keep climbing anyway!

Hebrews 12:2  instructs us to fix our eyes on Jesus and consider what He endured so that we do not grow weary and lose heart.

“For the joy set before him, He endured.”

We are called to do the same.

 We must be willing to give up our fears, choose God over pleasing people and dare to dream for what defies “logical” expectations. I’ve learned what God wants for me is usually far better than anything I envision for myself. God’s best requires endurance. The tests of patience and pain push us from one stage to the next. When we persist, we choose faith over fear.

Persist in pursuing what God has placed in your heart to the point that people think you are nuts! Bystanders thought Noah, Gideon, Moses and even the Disciples were crazy for daring to do what God called them to do. Yet, in the end, their reward was great!

Persist and pursue God’s best for YOU!

“As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” James 5:11 NIV

 

***This post is dedicated to my son Landon, class of 2017, ever persistent in reaching his goals. We are VERY proud of you!

Trials…

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
James 1:2-5 NIV

Some of you may have noticed that I’ve been “off the grid” lately.

I’m hanging in there but currently dealing with a family emergency back home.

Many thanks to all of you who have blessed my family with your love, prayers and support. It has really seen us through.

I’ll be back writing soon but right now Mommy needs me more.

Peace, love and B Blessed!

***Our “Bridges” series will continue on this site “as I get by with a little help from my friends”  😉  I’ll rejoin the conversation soon.

 

 

New Year, New You?

He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
    and put their trust in him.

Blessed is the one
    who trusts in the Lord,
who does not look to the proud,
    to those who turn aside to false gods.
Psalm 40:3-4 NIV

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 wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV

new-year-new-you-1-2017-2p  You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV

The State of Our Union… (Dear Susan 11-18-2016)

Like most people in our nation, I awoke last week to learn Donald Trump was our new president-elect.

I’d like to say that I was surprised.

But, I wasn’t.

Donald Trump is a very strategic business man and quantifiable “deal maker.” He knew exactly what to say and how to say it to get elected.

Living in the “deep south” I heard again and again the hatred for Hillary Clinton and the Clintons in general. Still, living in the Bible Belt, I was rather amused at the hypocrisy at which “Christians” spoke when making a moral case for Trump.

Trump is many things to many people but I have no doubt his campaign ultimately succeeded on a platform of hate.

His continual tweets against Muslims, minorities, women and anyone not the “right white” were so incredulous, most journalists and half of America couldn’t take him seriously.

The joke, however, was on us.

No one else was talking to the “alt-right” steering clear of an extremism culture that since the election has become emboldened and validated, believing disregard for those unlike themselves is not only their right but now a privilege.

There are so many ways to view this election, still my prayer is Trump supporters who can’t comprehend the angst this election has wrought will at least be willing to take a glimpse at it from the other side.

“Why Racism Won This Election” by Jason Cushman clearly puts into words “the current state of our Union”

I don’t believe everyone who voted for Donald Trump is racist.

But make no mistake that each vote to “Make America Great Again” did not carry a disclaimer to the nationalists, extremists and white supremacists who ultimately edged Trump into the White House.

They think you are one of them.

I challenge you to prove them wrong.

the-sate-of-our-union-11182016 If you aren’t part of the problem, become part of the solution.

Trump claims he wants to bring the nation together again. That remains to be seen, but my hope is not in him.

My hope rests with God.

God uses those things thought “foolish” to confound the wise. I believe God can use anyone, even Trump, to fulfill His purpose.

Our “one nation under God” has spent far too much time placing our hopes and dreams in a person (or people) and not enough effort in reverence and obedience to God.

How do we do that?

I certainly don’t hold all the answers; yet, I do believe that obeying God’s commandment to love Him and love one another would be a definitive step in the right direction.

Prayer also works.

We should do it more, and not just for ourselves but for our “neighbors” and our nation.

Love can conquer hate.

If we allow it.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. James 3:9-10 NIV

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. James 3:17-18 NIV

A Beatitude of Gratitude

Living in the “Bible Belt”  I read many a church sign while driving. Some of them are rather witty and others are down right weird.

I did come across one that I liked a lot. It read,  “A GRATEFUL MIND IS A GREAT MIND.”

As I reflected on that particular sign I thought about my various “states of mind.”

Some days I’m focused.

On other’s, not so much.

On occasion, I can keep a very clear train of thought that allows me to accomplish much in record time. Then there are days I’m left looking around having nothing to show for my efforts.

Yet, when I focus on counting my blessings, I gain clarity that at other times alludes me.

When I am grateful, it puts into perspective all the minor and petty annoyances that don’t really matter. Headaches and temporary trials don’t compare to God’s great grace, mercy and favor.

If I did not continually count my blessings, I would get bogged down in the nonsense of the day, other people’s drama and become mired down in things that aren’t any of my business.

We must renew our minds daily as not to magnify our problems instead of our God!

mornig-mums-10-11-2016-devotional  We are implored by Romans 12:2  “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” 

When we make a habit to appreciate how good God is to us, we are compelled to offer mercy, compassion and kindness as we have received it. The realization that we are not worthy, but God loves us anyway, should move us to love our neighbor/brother enough to not just pray for them but actually “do” for them.

Allowing our gratitude to spur us into action produces great deeds and great love, the kind Jesus would have us show toward one another.

In this season of thanks, don’t merely settle for being grateful, act grateful.

Allow your gratitude to motivate you to do something. Your random act of kindness may make a world of difference for someone else.

Stressed out by the holidays?

Allow gratitude to adjust your attitude!

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NKJV

Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
Psalm 30:4 NKJV