My husband called me yesterday and said "God is good!" I agreed with him and asked him why the declaration. He had told God that we need a house to move to. Our search last weekend came up empty and there is nothing new available. We have to move out of this house by July 15 which is arount the corner. As Keevin traveled in his truck through the Asheville gorge he turned the radio on. The radio signal was weak but he managed to pick up 106.9 long enough to hear Beth Moore say, "God provides." Keevin heard from God that He will provide a home for us in due time--we just have to trust Him.
Later in the afternoon Keevin made the same declaration via text. He had prayed for a specific parking spot at a truck stop. He is driving a temporary truck while his is in the shop. This truck doesn't have a good radio and it doesn't have a good air conditioner. Keevin wanted a particular spot so as not to be near other trucks with running motors (for their ac's) while he kept his windows down for a cool breeze. Our great God granted him his wish. Thank You Holy Dad!
When Keevin relayed both of these accounts I thanked Holy Dad because my hubby seemed so confident. you see, as a person willingly and unconditonally trusts our great God then God grows our trust with answered prayer and peace. One thing leads to another. I challenge you to search Jesus' words about how doing things His way leads to better things, better life.
In my eyes, confidence is feeling solid and knowing the truth. And guess what God's word says about confidence? Proverbs 3:26 (AMP): "For the Lord shall be your confidence, firm and strong, and shall keep your foot from being caught [in a trap or some hidden danger]." That verse looks like this when I personalize it: "Lord, You are my confidence, making me firm, steady, determined and strong. My rock, solid foundation in You keeps me from getting caught up in messes that trip me up. Thank You Father for giving me confidence!"
How does one get to this level of confidence? Jeremiah 17:7 (AMP): "[Most] blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is." This verse starts out by telling us what it leads to when we do what it teaches. Blessed. Happiness. Celebration. A confident Christian who looks like happiness will attract many folks to Jesus. But to get there we have to do 3 things. 1. Believe. God is true and He is real. Jesus is who He says He is. We have to take these statements that They are who They say They are. Take Them. Own Them. 2. Trust. Unquestioning belief and loyalty. Our King Jesus deserves this kind of affection and devotion. Hum, that sounds like love, doesn't it? 3. Relies. Depending on God and listening for His answers is one of the most confidence-growing actions one can do. It may not look like it on paper but when you hear our big, amazing God talk to you in response to a converstation you have with Him--then you'll know what I am talking about. You'll feel it, feel Him.
What if you are one of those people who don't like God or are angry with Him at the moment? I say to you--talk to Him. He is more kind and compassionate than we give Him credit for. Ephesians 3:12 (Amp): "In whom, because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (and unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear)."
This courage and confidence is not to be taken lightly. It is what you want, isn't it? Move forward and claim it. God wants you healed from whatever has brought you to the lower level that you are in. Hebrews 10:35 (NLT): "Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings to you!" This verse in a personal context sounds like this: "I am holding on to my confident trust in You, Lord, no matter what happens. I am looking forward to the new person I am becoming!"
If you don't feel strong enough yet to claim this confidence try the next verse. Hebrews 13:6 (AMP): "So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and bodly say 'The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?" This is a good one to journal for 21 days.
What if you're a man or woman who is sabotaging your efforts? And why would you do that to yourself? Moving out of comfort zones, even those we complain about, is hard to do because these zones feel familiar. But feeling familiar doesn't always equal with being good for you. 1 John 3:21 (MSG): "And friends, once that's taken care of and we're no longer accusing or condemning ourselves we're bold and free before God." (CEB) says it this way: "Dear friends, if our hearts don't condemn us, we have condfidence in relationship to God." Personalizing this one looks like this: "I am standing up to myself and saying "NO" to stunted growth. I am growing my relationship with You, Holy Dad, and stand boldly and free and confidently."
Friend, as a confident Christian you can attract many, many folks to Jesus. Jesus is a confident person and He wants you to be one also. This blog is based on the next verse and I love it! Isaiah 32:17 (NIV): "The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever." FOREVER! (AMP) reads it this way: "And the effect of righteousness will be peace [internal and external], and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever." Journal this one for 21 days.
I encourage you to take up the practice of handwriting these verses once a day for 21 days to feel God's hand of favor on you, in your soul, in your spirit. Your body, actions, behaviors and thoughts, will follow what you put in it. It works because I know it works!!
Enjoy good life, confident life. Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
New Personality
Lots of us have wished at one time or another that we were someone else. Are you wishing today that you could be someone else? Well, you can be! It's true.
Our souls shape our personalities. I recently researched our body/soul/spirit and discovered some interesting things. I will tell you on another blog about how these 3 things are important to who we are. My eyes were opened! Our souls contain our imagination, conscience, memory, reasoning, and affections. Hense, our personalities are shaped by our soul. As you look at what our souls are, you can figure out that our personalities can be regenerated by changing our imaginations, consciences, memories, reasonings and afffections. These things are often empowered by our experiences all throughout our existing lives. But our empowerment can be changed depending on what we allow to enter our spirits.
A good personality looks like this: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. An unattractive personality looks like this: hate and jealousy, sadness and depression, restlessness and hyperness, impulsiveness or inablitity to relax, meaness of spirit, doing bad things, distrust, condemning and fault-finding and just plain negative, and lastly mindlessness. Compare the differences and highlight the ones that apply to you. Now highlight the ones you want to apply to you. Be very honest here as I am sure you want a different you. Philippians 4:6 says that the Holy Spirit gives us this kind of personality. And the Holy Spirit is referred to as The Truth. John 8:32 (MSG) says: "Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you." But how does one experience the truth? The previous verse tells us. John 8:31 (GWT): ...if you live by what I say, you are truly my disciples." The Bible is so wonderful as it tells us how to have a good life and that a great life is possible, but it also tells us how to obtain it.
So the unattractive personality as listed in the last paragraph is usually an anxious, chaotic person who cannot seem to get a handle on things. Philippians 4:6 gives us good advise (AMP): "Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God." An important action word in this verse is "thanksgiving." Give it a try--whenever you have a negative vibe about something search for anything to thank Holy Dad about. Even if it feels silly, do it anyway--you'll be doing what Jesus says to do. I like the Message for this verse: "Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns." Feeling a negative vibe about something gives you an opportunity to talk to God.
The apostle Paul gives us another piece of advise. Philippians 4:8 (NLT): "...Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." He didn't say to think about false, dishonorable and wrong things. He didn't say to think about dirty, ugly and unlovely and substandard things. We are influenced by alot of media outlets that allow these very negative things in our minds and then we sit and dwell on them. These negative thoughts become attached to our subconcious and resurface in our actions and behaviors. Proverbs 23:7 explains this phenomenon (GNT): "...what he thinks is what he really is." Did you hear that? Your personality is what it is because you choose the thoughts and influences that go in your soul.
I have discovered that memorizing verses automatically caused me to keep God in my thoughts. It was really amazing how I didn't have to work at my thoughts--His thoughts just popped in. Memorization is great!! And the Bible tells us to meditate on His good word.
Now look at a new personality, Philippians 4:7 (GWT): "Then God's peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus." You got it--instead of our worldly media infuences, a person should choose God's good word to shape a great, attractive personality. (MSG) says: "Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." Hum, replacing Christ for the negatives. That's the way a beautiful person achieves the "beautiful person" status. It will take work but it is so worth it! It's what you were asking for--isn't it? A new personality?
Evaluate everything you allow to enter your being and make heathy decisions. Make a decision right this minute to change your mental receiving lifestyle (hope that makes sense). Be a new person by this time next week--I would love to meet the new you!! You would love "you", too!!
Enjoy good life. Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Our souls shape our personalities. I recently researched our body/soul/spirit and discovered some interesting things. I will tell you on another blog about how these 3 things are important to who we are. My eyes were opened! Our souls contain our imagination, conscience, memory, reasoning, and affections. Hense, our personalities are shaped by our soul. As you look at what our souls are, you can figure out that our personalities can be regenerated by changing our imaginations, consciences, memories, reasonings and afffections. These things are often empowered by our experiences all throughout our existing lives. But our empowerment can be changed depending on what we allow to enter our spirits.
A good personality looks like this: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. An unattractive personality looks like this: hate and jealousy, sadness and depression, restlessness and hyperness, impulsiveness or inablitity to relax, meaness of spirit, doing bad things, distrust, condemning and fault-finding and just plain negative, and lastly mindlessness. Compare the differences and highlight the ones that apply to you. Now highlight the ones you want to apply to you. Be very honest here as I am sure you want a different you. Philippians 4:6 says that the Holy Spirit gives us this kind of personality. And the Holy Spirit is referred to as The Truth. John 8:32 (MSG) says: "Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you." But how does one experience the truth? The previous verse tells us. John 8:31 (GWT): ...if you live by what I say, you are truly my disciples." The Bible is so wonderful as it tells us how to have a good life and that a great life is possible, but it also tells us how to obtain it.
So the unattractive personality as listed in the last paragraph is usually an anxious, chaotic person who cannot seem to get a handle on things. Philippians 4:6 gives us good advise (AMP): "Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God." An important action word in this verse is "thanksgiving." Give it a try--whenever you have a negative vibe about something search for anything to thank Holy Dad about. Even if it feels silly, do it anyway--you'll be doing what Jesus says to do. I like the Message for this verse: "Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns." Feeling a negative vibe about something gives you an opportunity to talk to God.
The apostle Paul gives us another piece of advise. Philippians 4:8 (NLT): "...Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." He didn't say to think about false, dishonorable and wrong things. He didn't say to think about dirty, ugly and unlovely and substandard things. We are influenced by alot of media outlets that allow these very negative things in our minds and then we sit and dwell on them. These negative thoughts become attached to our subconcious and resurface in our actions and behaviors. Proverbs 23:7 explains this phenomenon (GNT): "...what he thinks is what he really is." Did you hear that? Your personality is what it is because you choose the thoughts and influences that go in your soul.
I have discovered that memorizing verses automatically caused me to keep God in my thoughts. It was really amazing how I didn't have to work at my thoughts--His thoughts just popped in. Memorization is great!! And the Bible tells us to meditate on His good word.
Now look at a new personality, Philippians 4:7 (GWT): "Then God's peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus." You got it--instead of our worldly media infuences, a person should choose God's good word to shape a great, attractive personality. (MSG) says: "Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." Hum, replacing Christ for the negatives. That's the way a beautiful person achieves the "beautiful person" status. It will take work but it is so worth it! It's what you were asking for--isn't it? A new personality?
Evaluate everything you allow to enter your being and make heathy decisions. Make a decision right this minute to change your mental receiving lifestyle (hope that makes sense). Be a new person by this time next week--I would love to meet the new you!! You would love "you", too!!
Enjoy good life. Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
It's A Wonderful Life, The Rest of Your Life full of Confidence
I recently suffered a week full of despair, rejection, discouragement, disappointment, and uncontrollable crying. Keevin and I are going to have to move from this wonderful home and neighborhood because another neighbor (?) reported to the owner that we were holding church services in our home. It is true that we advertised with signs about our new church but have yet had anyone to come to worship here. We had planned to move it to a rental space once we had a couple of folks attending. I even felt guilt that we had failed God. I felt embarrassed, ashamed at perhaps going about this church plant the wrong way. All sorts of emotions filled me and filled me up and flowed over.
Have you ever been in a crisis that took such a hold of you as to paralyze and numb your senses? My life during the last week looked nothing like: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I didn't want the situation to control me like it did--and guess what, neither did God!
What I learned about myself was that I suffered from deep rejection pain. It is true that 10 % of people in our world will not like us, so rejection is to be expected. But why do we suffer so much from rejection, from painful hurts, guilt and shame? Why do we hold onto them so tightly? Because we trust ourselves. We think we are dealing with it the right way. Philippians 3:3b (NCV) says this: "We worship God through His Spirit, and our pride is in Christ Jesus. We do not trust in ourselves or anything we can do." So, have we been trusting in the wrong person? The answer is YES! When we get bogged down in our life messes we are actually trusting ourselves.
But it's not just trust, it's actual pain. UCLA neuroscientist, Naomi Eisenberger says that rejection activates the same brain area that generates the adverse reaction to physical pain. What she is saying is that rejection (or any other fear, guilt, etc.) causes actual pain. I started noticing what I felt physically after reading this information. When ever a rejection, painful thought popped up I had a sting in my chest. Naturally we run away from pain. That's why we don't deal with these negative emotions.
Let's look at statements Holy Dad has provided for us that tells us how He doesn't want us to suffer like this. Jesus told us He doesn't want us to live our lives full of guilt and shame. John 8:11 (NCV): "Then Jesus said, 'I also don't judge you guilty. You may go now, but don't sin anymore.'" Now look at (NIV): "Then neither do I condemn you, Jesus declared. Go now and leave your life of sin." Notice that He doesn't want us to feel condemned or guilty. Instead, He wants us to do life His way.
And Psalm 25:15 offers us a strong statement to cling to. (AMP): "My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He will pluck my feet out of the net." Last week I felt like I was caught up in a net and couldn't get free, but guess what? I found a hole to get out of. But before I get to the escape look at (GWT): "My eyes are always on the Lord. He removes my feet from traps." And (GNT): "I look to the Lord for help at all times, and He rescues me from danger." And my favorite, (MSG): "If I keep my eyes on God, I won't trip over my own feet." Yes, our own feet trip us up. Why? Because we are running away from pain instead of standing up to it and trusting that God really knows what He's talking about.
I learned from Self-growth.com, Dr. Monica Frank, a clinical psychologist,that cognitive restructuring is a technique that focuses on changing the underlying thought processes that tend to create and perpetuate the behavior. Um, that sounds a lot like my 21 Day Journal notes. Also, memorizing, daily quoting God's word to ourselves and handwriting it for 21 days will seal it in and delete the bad stuff out.
Satan's power is as strong only as much as you allow it to be. That's why God's word speaks so much about our self-control. Satan wants us to think we don't have any control but we really do. He just doesn't want you to know that or challenge it.
Romans 12:2 (NLT): "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is." Everytime you have a rejection thought, a fearful thought, a guilt-ridden thought, say no to it. This system really works because I used it last week and experienced life changing effects. At first I had to say "no" every few seconds because the thoughts were coming at me fast and furious. Then it became hourly. But there was a point when my "no" took hold and subdued the negative thoughts and emotions. I journaled to God that I felt new energies. That explains how He transforms us into new persons.
And see how He advises us to say "no" to Satan. James 4:7 (MSG): "So let God work His will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper." Friends, it really works!!!!
But don't miss the connecting advise in all these verses on this blog: worship God through His Spirit, keep my eyes on God, let God work His will in you, and "I don't condemn you." He even paints a picture of the wonderful life He has for us by doing life His way. Galatians 5:22-23 (MSG): "But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard--things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely."
Thank You Holy Dad for this wonderful life You have given us. Please help my readers to want this life enough that they will do it Your way. Thank You, Father!!
Enjoy good life. Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Have you ever been in a crisis that took such a hold of you as to paralyze and numb your senses? My life during the last week looked nothing like: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I didn't want the situation to control me like it did--and guess what, neither did God!
What I learned about myself was that I suffered from deep rejection pain. It is true that 10 % of people in our world will not like us, so rejection is to be expected. But why do we suffer so much from rejection, from painful hurts, guilt and shame? Why do we hold onto them so tightly? Because we trust ourselves. We think we are dealing with it the right way. Philippians 3:3b (NCV) says this: "We worship God through His Spirit, and our pride is in Christ Jesus. We do not trust in ourselves or anything we can do." So, have we been trusting in the wrong person? The answer is YES! When we get bogged down in our life messes we are actually trusting ourselves.
But it's not just trust, it's actual pain. UCLA neuroscientist, Naomi Eisenberger says that rejection activates the same brain area that generates the adverse reaction to physical pain. What she is saying is that rejection (or any other fear, guilt, etc.) causes actual pain. I started noticing what I felt physically after reading this information. When ever a rejection, painful thought popped up I had a sting in my chest. Naturally we run away from pain. That's why we don't deal with these negative emotions.
Let's look at statements Holy Dad has provided for us that tells us how He doesn't want us to suffer like this. Jesus told us He doesn't want us to live our lives full of guilt and shame. John 8:11 (NCV): "Then Jesus said, 'I also don't judge you guilty. You may go now, but don't sin anymore.'" Now look at (NIV): "Then neither do I condemn you, Jesus declared. Go now and leave your life of sin." Notice that He doesn't want us to feel condemned or guilty. Instead, He wants us to do life His way.
And Psalm 25:15 offers us a strong statement to cling to. (AMP): "My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He will pluck my feet out of the net." Last week I felt like I was caught up in a net and couldn't get free, but guess what? I found a hole to get out of. But before I get to the escape look at (GWT): "My eyes are always on the Lord. He removes my feet from traps." And (GNT): "I look to the Lord for help at all times, and He rescues me from danger." And my favorite, (MSG): "If I keep my eyes on God, I won't trip over my own feet." Yes, our own feet trip us up. Why? Because we are running away from pain instead of standing up to it and trusting that God really knows what He's talking about.
I learned from Self-growth.com, Dr. Monica Frank, a clinical psychologist,that cognitive restructuring is a technique that focuses on changing the underlying thought processes that tend to create and perpetuate the behavior. Um, that sounds a lot like my 21 Day Journal notes. Also, memorizing, daily quoting God's word to ourselves and handwriting it for 21 days will seal it in and delete the bad stuff out.
Satan's power is as strong only as much as you allow it to be. That's why God's word speaks so much about our self-control. Satan wants us to think we don't have any control but we really do. He just doesn't want you to know that or challenge it.
Romans 12:2 (NLT): "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is." Everytime you have a rejection thought, a fearful thought, a guilt-ridden thought, say no to it. This system really works because I used it last week and experienced life changing effects. At first I had to say "no" every few seconds because the thoughts were coming at me fast and furious. Then it became hourly. But there was a point when my "no" took hold and subdued the negative thoughts and emotions. I journaled to God that I felt new energies. That explains how He transforms us into new persons.
And see how He advises us to say "no" to Satan. James 4:7 (MSG): "So let God work His will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper." Friends, it really works!!!!
But don't miss the connecting advise in all these verses on this blog: worship God through His Spirit, keep my eyes on God, let God work His will in you, and "I don't condemn you." He even paints a picture of the wonderful life He has for us by doing life His way. Galatians 5:22-23 (MSG): "But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard--things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely."
Thank You Holy Dad for this wonderful life You have given us. Please help my readers to want this life enough that they will do it Your way. Thank You, Father!!
Enjoy good life. Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Thursday, May 17, 2012
A Confidence Buster: WORRY!
Rocky and I took a morning walk today. I sipped on cup of hot tea as we walked down the gravel road past our neighbors homes. It is the first sunny morning we have had in a while and I am enjoying it greatly. Sunshine magically lifts our spirits, doesn't it? I was greeted by the beautiful flowers and greenery that had sprung up since my last outing. I was amazed at the amount of growth that had occurred but realized that we have had a couple of ugly, drizzly, coldish weeks of weather. Boone, NC's lushness and beauty is presenting itself quite majestically. Thank You Holy Dad for the enjoyment I have experienced this morning!!
Enjoyment. Do you experience it? God wants us to experience it. But do you believe it? Do you trust what He says is the truth? Do you believe that enjoyment is celebrated and experienced only by confident folks?
As Rocky and I were enjoying our morning, sunny walk I talked to God about searching for a job in a month or so. I think we will be able to get a second vehicle and hopefully by me having employement Keevin will be able to find a job here in Boone. I told Holy Dad how beautful this neighborhood is and that I was enjoying it. I then asked Him to grant me somethng. My next job--I want it to be an enjoyable experience and if there are coworkers (there is no "if" b/c there is always someone who doesn't like us) who treat me disrespectfully that He would help me to let it go in one ear and out the other. What about you, is that your wish? Well God reminded me of a verse I have memorized. Psalm 37:4 (NIV) "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." I have always understood that verse to mean "do what God wants and He will give you things you really want." Is that what you thought about that verse also? We'll talk later about this one.
I looked in the concordance of my Bible for "worry" verses. He led me to Psalm 37 for alot of word dealing with worry and fret and anxiousness. We all know the feelings of worry. Just last night our sweet neighborhood black lab, Shadow, barked all night long. Ordinarily I can fall back to sleep but last night I would reawaken and fall back to sleep several times b/c of Shadow's barking. I kept having a reoccuring dream of worry--that someone would break in on us. I really had no basis for my fear but the dream kept me from resting well. As the morning dawned and I spoke with Keevin, he suggested that maybe she was barking at deer running through the neighborhood. And that is a very possible explanation being that we have seen the deer in the early morning hours. Can you see how fear caused a mental anxiety in me that showed up in my sleep? Guess what the definition of worry is?: to be anxious, troubled and a troubled state of mind. Troubled state of mind. A troubled state of mind is far from being a confident state of mind.
Let's take a look at chapter 37 of Psalm and figure this thing out.
Verse 1. (NLT): "Don't worry about the wicked. Don't envy those who do wrong." Remember those people who don't like you?
Verse 2. (MSG): "In no time they'll shrivel like grass clippings and wilt like cut flowers in the sun." That's what God promises will happen to them--so don't worry about them! But I have a feeling for most of us worry is a worrisome habit--one we need to break.
Verse 3. (NLT): "Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper." Do you find yourself slowing down in the "hope" department because you just can't trust God to the extent that will help you? Look at The Amplified: Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed." Did you see the word confident? It means to be confident in God. Your confidence comes from God's confidence. The way trust works is you have to use the little bit you have and God will grow it---it really happens. I have experienced trust-growth and know how it has changed my life. Have you heard the saying "one thing leads to another?" Well one little bit of trust leads to another bigger bit of trust.
Verse 4. (NIV): "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." We've heard this one already today but I discovered a little gold nugget as I looked at other translations. (NCV): Enjoying serving the Lord, and He will give you what you want." Did you see the word "enjoying?" Enjoy doing what? Serving the Lord! It means you should be having a good time whatever it is you are doing to serve God. God reminded me of this translation as I talked to Him earlier during the morning walk. He wants me to enjoy the job He will give me and not let the people who won't like me (they will be there, too) to mess up my enjoyment. I always pictured that to delight God meant doing things to please Him, not necessarily doing things to please me. But when a person loves Holy Dad as much as He wants them to then pleasing me and Him are basically the same thing. Doing things His way = confidence. And isn't it funny that He tells us to trust and enjoy in the middle of all these worry verses?
Verse 5. (NCV): "Depend on the Lord; trust Him, and He will take care of you." 2 days ago (prior to this research) I journaled my thoughts: You are my worry-free Lord, my "I'll take care of you" Jesus, and my "I'll show you the way" Holy Spirit. And look, He showed me in His word that I got it right! But don't overlook the word "trust" in the verse. Trust means to have a firm belief in the reliabilty, etc of another --confident, expectation, hope, etc. Grow your trust = grow your confidence.
Verse 6. (MSG): "He'll validate your life in the clear light of day and stamp you with approval at high noon." Your life is officially important!
Verse 7 (NLT): "Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes." And (MSG): "Quiet down before God, be prayerful before Him. Don't bother with those who climb the ladder, who elbow their way to the top." I spoke of coworkers earlier but this could apply to a sibling who is trying to get all of mom and dad's attention. Or a Christian brother or sister who is trying to scoop up a Sunday School teaching position that has been given to you. This verse plainly tells us what to do and how to act when these situations happen--and they will happen.
Verse 8 (GNT): "Don't give in to worry or anger; it only leads to trouble." Remember the troubled state of mind?
Verse11 (NCV): "People who are not proud will inherit the land and will enjoy complete peace." You have to give up what you consider to be confident growing ways (that aren't working--at least long term) and do it God's way. Peace. Enjoyment. That's what you can look forward to.
Verse 23 (NCV): "When a person's steps follow the Lord, God is pleased with his ways." That sums it up. Follow God's ways. Trust Him. Grow your trust. Please Him.
Have I convinced you yet to do it His way? Proverbs 3:5 (AMP): "Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding." This verse touches on the trust, confidence and mind. (MSG): "Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own." He knows the reasoning we think with--our reasoning.
When you find yourself in a troubled state of mind audibly speak and listen to your voice. Perhaps name the location of where you currently are. Hearing your voice pulls you out of the state of mind and places you back in the present. If you aren't in a situation to speak audibly then handwrite it or use a firm voice in your thoughts. Tell yourself to stop it and say it very firmly and mean it. After a while your brain will recognize that you mean business and your subconcious will obey you instead of you obeying your subconcious.
Bob Beckel on The Five (Fox News channel) said last night that AA has a saying: "get out of your own mind." Friend, you would do well to get out of your own mind and into God's.
Do you want a 21 Day Journal Note? Here it is for those of you employing these:
(Psalm 37) I am refusing to worry about those who don't like me. I am not jealous because it seems they are unscathed by the bad things they say and do. God, you say that in time they will fade away. I am trusting you unconditionally and will continue to do good. I am enjoying your good life and the things your good earth has to offer. Father, because of your great love for me, I am enjoying serving You and giving back to You. I feel so honored when I experience Your goodness. When I am confronted by the folks who don't like me I will quiet down and be still in your presence. Their presence will shrink away and You will rise up. I refuse to get into mental trouble by worrying. You have promised to help me stand up and bear any trouble, danger or fear (2 Cor. 12:9) and I claim this promise. Thank You Lord for Your healing, peace and good life!
end of journal note.
Enjoy confident living! Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Enjoyment. Do you experience it? God wants us to experience it. But do you believe it? Do you trust what He says is the truth? Do you believe that enjoyment is celebrated and experienced only by confident folks?
As Rocky and I were enjoying our morning, sunny walk I talked to God about searching for a job in a month or so. I think we will be able to get a second vehicle and hopefully by me having employement Keevin will be able to find a job here in Boone. I told Holy Dad how beautful this neighborhood is and that I was enjoying it. I then asked Him to grant me somethng. My next job--I want it to be an enjoyable experience and if there are coworkers (there is no "if" b/c there is always someone who doesn't like us) who treat me disrespectfully that He would help me to let it go in one ear and out the other. What about you, is that your wish? Well God reminded me of a verse I have memorized. Psalm 37:4 (NIV) "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." I have always understood that verse to mean "do what God wants and He will give you things you really want." Is that what you thought about that verse also? We'll talk later about this one.
I looked in the concordance of my Bible for "worry" verses. He led me to Psalm 37 for alot of word dealing with worry and fret and anxiousness. We all know the feelings of worry. Just last night our sweet neighborhood black lab, Shadow, barked all night long. Ordinarily I can fall back to sleep but last night I would reawaken and fall back to sleep several times b/c of Shadow's barking. I kept having a reoccuring dream of worry--that someone would break in on us. I really had no basis for my fear but the dream kept me from resting well. As the morning dawned and I spoke with Keevin, he suggested that maybe she was barking at deer running through the neighborhood. And that is a very possible explanation being that we have seen the deer in the early morning hours. Can you see how fear caused a mental anxiety in me that showed up in my sleep? Guess what the definition of worry is?: to be anxious, troubled and a troubled state of mind. Troubled state of mind. A troubled state of mind is far from being a confident state of mind.
Let's take a look at chapter 37 of Psalm and figure this thing out.
Verse 1. (NLT): "Don't worry about the wicked. Don't envy those who do wrong." Remember those people who don't like you?
Verse 2. (MSG): "In no time they'll shrivel like grass clippings and wilt like cut flowers in the sun." That's what God promises will happen to them--so don't worry about them! But I have a feeling for most of us worry is a worrisome habit--one we need to break.
Verse 3. (NLT): "Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper." Do you find yourself slowing down in the "hope" department because you just can't trust God to the extent that will help you? Look at The Amplified: Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed." Did you see the word confident? It means to be confident in God. Your confidence comes from God's confidence. The way trust works is you have to use the little bit you have and God will grow it---it really happens. I have experienced trust-growth and know how it has changed my life. Have you heard the saying "one thing leads to another?" Well one little bit of trust leads to another bigger bit of trust.
Verse 4. (NIV): "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." We've heard this one already today but I discovered a little gold nugget as I looked at other translations. (NCV): Enjoying serving the Lord, and He will give you what you want." Did you see the word "enjoying?" Enjoy doing what? Serving the Lord! It means you should be having a good time whatever it is you are doing to serve God. God reminded me of this translation as I talked to Him earlier during the morning walk. He wants me to enjoy the job He will give me and not let the people who won't like me (they will be there, too) to mess up my enjoyment. I always pictured that to delight God meant doing things to please Him, not necessarily doing things to please me. But when a person loves Holy Dad as much as He wants them to then pleasing me and Him are basically the same thing. Doing things His way = confidence. And isn't it funny that He tells us to trust and enjoy in the middle of all these worry verses?
Verse 5. (NCV): "Depend on the Lord; trust Him, and He will take care of you." 2 days ago (prior to this research) I journaled my thoughts: You are my worry-free Lord, my "I'll take care of you" Jesus, and my "I'll show you the way" Holy Spirit. And look, He showed me in His word that I got it right! But don't overlook the word "trust" in the verse. Trust means to have a firm belief in the reliabilty, etc of another --confident, expectation, hope, etc. Grow your trust = grow your confidence.
Verse 6. (MSG): "He'll validate your life in the clear light of day and stamp you with approval at high noon." Your life is officially important!
Verse 7 (NLT): "Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes." And (MSG): "Quiet down before God, be prayerful before Him. Don't bother with those who climb the ladder, who elbow their way to the top." I spoke of coworkers earlier but this could apply to a sibling who is trying to get all of mom and dad's attention. Or a Christian brother or sister who is trying to scoop up a Sunday School teaching position that has been given to you. This verse plainly tells us what to do and how to act when these situations happen--and they will happen.
Verse 8 (GNT): "Don't give in to worry or anger; it only leads to trouble." Remember the troubled state of mind?
Verse11 (NCV): "People who are not proud will inherit the land and will enjoy complete peace." You have to give up what you consider to be confident growing ways (that aren't working--at least long term) and do it God's way. Peace. Enjoyment. That's what you can look forward to.
Verse 23 (NCV): "When a person's steps follow the Lord, God is pleased with his ways." That sums it up. Follow God's ways. Trust Him. Grow your trust. Please Him.
Have I convinced you yet to do it His way? Proverbs 3:5 (AMP): "Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding." This verse touches on the trust, confidence and mind. (MSG): "Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own." He knows the reasoning we think with--our reasoning.
When you find yourself in a troubled state of mind audibly speak and listen to your voice. Perhaps name the location of where you currently are. Hearing your voice pulls you out of the state of mind and places you back in the present. If you aren't in a situation to speak audibly then handwrite it or use a firm voice in your thoughts. Tell yourself to stop it and say it very firmly and mean it. After a while your brain will recognize that you mean business and your subconcious will obey you instead of you obeying your subconcious.
Bob Beckel on The Five (Fox News channel) said last night that AA has a saying: "get out of your own mind." Friend, you would do well to get out of your own mind and into God's.
Do you want a 21 Day Journal Note? Here it is for those of you employing these:
(Psalm 37) I am refusing to worry about those who don't like me. I am not jealous because it seems they are unscathed by the bad things they say and do. God, you say that in time they will fade away. I am trusting you unconditionally and will continue to do good. I am enjoying your good life and the things your good earth has to offer. Father, because of your great love for me, I am enjoying serving You and giving back to You. I feel so honored when I experience Your goodness. When I am confronted by the folks who don't like me I will quiet down and be still in your presence. Their presence will shrink away and You will rise up. I refuse to get into mental trouble by worrying. You have promised to help me stand up and bear any trouble, danger or fear (2 Cor. 12:9) and I claim this promise. Thank You Lord for Your healing, peace and good life!
end of journal note.
Enjoy confident living! Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Release! Relief! 5-10-12
What keeps you in an emotional prison? What limits you? What can free you from your emotional disability? Today's blog will address all of these issues and provide answers and a new way of life.
Signs of limitation and restriction:
anger, depression, disagreeable, bitterness, unfriendly, intimacy issues, violence, dissatisfaction, resentfulness, harshness, pain, jealousy, anguish, hatred, avoidance, hostility, whinning, cruelty. These are the signs, not the causes.
Isaiah 61:1 (NLT): "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon Me, because the Lord has appointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed." The Amplified Bible speaks to the afflicted as well as the physical and spiriutual captives. Isaiah was fortelling of a person who would do these things for us. That person is Jesus who did come and provided for us ways of being released. Notice the word announce in that verse. Jesus announces the possibility of release. But who holds the key? You do!
Verse 2 (NCV) says: "He has sent Me to announce the time when the Lord will show His kindness and the time when our God will punish evil people. He has sent Me to comfort all those who are sad." NLT speaks of your enemies. NIV refers to you who mourn. And GWT calls you those who grieve.
Grief fits here because you are acting from intense emotional sufferings. You are being controlled by the emotions but the emotions are fueled by a cause. Whatever the cause is-you are still being haunted by it.
You are the one who is emotional and hurt, angry, etc but God is the One who is authorized to punish the evil people in your life. It doesn't mean that we cannot defend ourselves when absolutely necessary-- just be sure that you know what absolutely necessary means.
By allowing God to do His thing and forging on to do your thing brings rewards. Verse 3 (NIV): "And provide for those who grieve in Zion--to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor."
Look at the trade off:
ashes (frown, scowl, furrowed brow, pursed lips) >>>>>>beauty
mourning>>>>>>>gladness
spirit of despair>>>>>>>garment of praise
And not only that but you become and appear as strong as an oak tree--you become His splendor!
Do you know what splendor is? It is: great luster, brillaince, pomp, grandeur. You become His bling!
But how do you get release if you hold the key?
Romans 12:21 (MSG): "Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good." I know, I know--you are still dealing with all those negative emotions. So how do you release those negative emotions?
Well it seems we need another reminder of God's role in all of this. Romans 12:19 (NCV): "My friends, do not try to punish others when they wrong you, but wait for God to punish them with His anger. It is written: 'I'll punish those who do wrong, I will repay them,' says the Lord." Looks like one of our confidence elements (Galatians 5:22-23) is used here--patience. Yes, it's very hard to sit back and wait but that's what God tells us to do--and we trust Him!
Besides patience, there is something else you can do. Forgive unconditionally. That's what I said, or rather God said. Jesus told a little story in Matthew 18 to illustrate the act of forgiveness. It's funny how you have to give up resentment toward someone (or release) in order to feel personal release. Matthew 18:35 (MSG): "And that's exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn't forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy." What will happen to you if you don't forgive?
Look at the previous verse 34 (NIV): "In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed." Do you see the correlation of the jail and torture to your limitations brought on by the strong emotions in you?
God did not design you to live this way. James 1:20 (NCV): "Because anger will not help you live the right kind of life God wants."
What does forgiving unconditionally mean? How should you ask God to help you? His word guides us. 1Peter 2:19 (GNT): "God will bless you for this if you endure the pain of undeserved suffering because you are conscious of His will." He knows He is asking you to perform a hard task--but He wants to help you!
And do this: Matthew 18:22 (NCV): "Jesus answered, 'I tell you, you must forgive him more than seven times. You must forgive him even if he does wrong to you seventy-seven times. That sounds extreme, doesn't it? But do you want to be a confident person? That's what it takes!
So many times our enemies only live in our minds but when we are face to face with an offender God wants us to take it another step further. 2 Corinthians 2:7 (NLT): "Now it is time to forgive him and comfort him. Otherwise he may become so discouraged that he won't be able to recover."
On to a very important question---Who or what is causing your strong emotions--who has you in jail? There may be several people who have injured you as well as yourself. Knowing circumstances behind a persons actions helps us to forgive because we can then feel empathy instead of pain. Unfortunately we don't always have the luxury of knowing details yet still we are told to forgive--in order to gain freedom.
By the way, release means to set free from confinement, work, pain. To let go.
Release so you can be calm, cool and collected.
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Signs of limitation and restriction:
anger, depression, disagreeable, bitterness, unfriendly, intimacy issues, violence, dissatisfaction, resentfulness, harshness, pain, jealousy, anguish, hatred, avoidance, hostility, whinning, cruelty. These are the signs, not the causes.
Isaiah 61:1 (NLT): "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon Me, because the Lord has appointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed." The Amplified Bible speaks to the afflicted as well as the physical and spiriutual captives. Isaiah was fortelling of a person who would do these things for us. That person is Jesus who did come and provided for us ways of being released. Notice the word announce in that verse. Jesus announces the possibility of release. But who holds the key? You do!
Verse 2 (NCV) says: "He has sent Me to announce the time when the Lord will show His kindness and the time when our God will punish evil people. He has sent Me to comfort all those who are sad." NLT speaks of your enemies. NIV refers to you who mourn. And GWT calls you those who grieve.
Grief fits here because you are acting from intense emotional sufferings. You are being controlled by the emotions but the emotions are fueled by a cause. Whatever the cause is-you are still being haunted by it.
You are the one who is emotional and hurt, angry, etc but God is the One who is authorized to punish the evil people in your life. It doesn't mean that we cannot defend ourselves when absolutely necessary-- just be sure that you know what absolutely necessary means.
By allowing God to do His thing and forging on to do your thing brings rewards. Verse 3 (NIV): "And provide for those who grieve in Zion--to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor."
Look at the trade off:
ashes (frown, scowl, furrowed brow, pursed lips) >>>>>>beauty
mourning>>>>>>>gladness
spirit of despair>>>>>>>garment of praise
And not only that but you become and appear as strong as an oak tree--you become His splendor!
Do you know what splendor is? It is: great luster, brillaince, pomp, grandeur. You become His bling!
But how do you get release if you hold the key?
Romans 12:21 (MSG): "Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good." I know, I know--you are still dealing with all those negative emotions. So how do you release those negative emotions?
Well it seems we need another reminder of God's role in all of this. Romans 12:19 (NCV): "My friends, do not try to punish others when they wrong you, but wait for God to punish them with His anger. It is written: 'I'll punish those who do wrong, I will repay them,' says the Lord." Looks like one of our confidence elements (Galatians 5:22-23) is used here--patience. Yes, it's very hard to sit back and wait but that's what God tells us to do--and we trust Him!
Besides patience, there is something else you can do. Forgive unconditionally. That's what I said, or rather God said. Jesus told a little story in Matthew 18 to illustrate the act of forgiveness. It's funny how you have to give up resentment toward someone (or release) in order to feel personal release. Matthew 18:35 (MSG): "And that's exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn't forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy." What will happen to you if you don't forgive?
Look at the previous verse 34 (NIV): "In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed." Do you see the correlation of the jail and torture to your limitations brought on by the strong emotions in you?
God did not design you to live this way. James 1:20 (NCV): "Because anger will not help you live the right kind of life God wants."
What does forgiving unconditionally mean? How should you ask God to help you? His word guides us. 1Peter 2:19 (GNT): "God will bless you for this if you endure the pain of undeserved suffering because you are conscious of His will." He knows He is asking you to perform a hard task--but He wants to help you!
And do this: Matthew 18:22 (NCV): "Jesus answered, 'I tell you, you must forgive him more than seven times. You must forgive him even if he does wrong to you seventy-seven times. That sounds extreme, doesn't it? But do you want to be a confident person? That's what it takes!
So many times our enemies only live in our minds but when we are face to face with an offender God wants us to take it another step further. 2 Corinthians 2:7 (NLT): "Now it is time to forgive him and comfort him. Otherwise he may become so discouraged that he won't be able to recover."
On to a very important question---Who or what is causing your strong emotions--who has you in jail? There may be several people who have injured you as well as yourself. Knowing circumstances behind a persons actions helps us to forgive because we can then feel empathy instead of pain. Unfortunately we don't always have the luxury of knowing details yet still we are told to forgive--in order to gain freedom.
By the way, release means to set free from confinement, work, pain. To let go.
Release so you can be calm, cool and collected.
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Thursday, May 3, 2012
The Gift of Identity
The definition of identity is: The state or fact of being a specific person or thing; individuality. The definition of identity crisis is: The state of being uncertain about oneself regarding character, goals, etc. Do you know who you are, where you came from, etc or do you have questions? I believe a large number of ladies can identify with difficulty with their own identification. Identify means to fix the identity of. So let's do just that!
I have always been interested in genealogy. My great-aunt Dean Parker compiled the Parker family tree lots of years ago--before ancestry.com. She was unable to go beyond our 4 great-grandfather and so we were unable to determine where our family originated from. One day I would like to be able to join ancestry.com and find but for now--I don't know.
I faithfully watch Who Do You Think You Are and Finding Your Roots (on PBS). These folks are usually surprised to find out commonalities they share with far-away relatives. But I say that God created us with genes that are past down through DNA and we shouldn't be surprised at the similarites. A few years ago Keevin and I visited with my sister, Lorie and her family in Raliegh (Wendell), NC. We hadn't been to their home in a long time. I was surprised to see similar items in their home that we had. Lorie said, "did you buy it at Walmart?" And I answered yes, but still we bought the same things in a particular pattern. We share commonalities that we didn't know we had. A few years ago God opened my eyes to my writing gift. But when I think about what it takes for my Dad and my brother, Drew, to preach it only makes sense that they too have a gift with words. We all share common things but do them differently.
So you see looking at your family can shed some important things about who you are--the gifts you may have. And looking at your family can reveal some unnecessary behaviors that you have picked up that have nothing to do with who God made you to be. In fact these behaviors hinder you from being all you can be. A fun way to look at what is good and what is bad is to make a list of your family members. Write down the good things about each one. Ask yourself if you connect with the good thing. And list the bad behaviors. Do you suffer from the same ones? I hope to encourage you to look up the trouble areas in the Bible and convince yourself that Holy Dad wants more for you than what you are getting out of the troubled area.
My monthy Bible read (I read the same 4 chapters once a day for a month) is Matthew chapters 1-4. Matthew starts off his book with Jesus' genealogy. Matthew and Luke are the only two authors who give account of Jesus' human family line. Of course Holy Dad is His Father and also ours. Matthew's book is addressed to a Jewish audience. Luke is talking to gentiles (all other non-Jewish people). Matthew traces the lineage of Jesus through Joseph (His step-father). Luke recounts through Mary's family.
Looking through both sets of genealogies one can see some of the same people. Jewish marraiges were arranged from the same family lines. This would explain why Joseph's lineage is applicable even though he was not Jesus' biological father.
I pulled out my MacArthur Bible Handbook to research the information for today's blog. I stumbled on a chronological list of the New Testament Books. The book of Matthew was listed as number 3. I would have thought that God would have placed big importance on Jesus' life and teachings-- and I guess He did by making sure that it was the first book in the New Testament. However, the first book that He inspired is very very interesting. Have any of you ladies taken Beth Moore's Bible study "James" yet? I haven't but I am going to buy it soon. James was the first book of the New Testament God inspired. And guess who James is. James was the oldest half-brother of Jesus. Yes, a family member of Jesus. You can probably relate to the hate/love relationship with a sibling that Jesus had with His. James had at first rejected Jesus as our Messiah but later believed. James experience a relationship with a post resurrected Jesus. And what important things did God want to inspire first? James' book is about wise living, godly behavior. His passion was to teach his readors to uncompromisingly obey God's word. James teaches us about the gifts God gives us, the gifts that give us identity.
James 1:17, 18 (NCV): "Every good action and every perfect gift is from God. These good gifts come down from the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars, Who does not change like their shifting shadows. God decided to give us life through the word of truth so we might be the most important of all the things He made." Friend did you hear it? Read back through it very slowly taking note of each word and the meaning of it. This is rich stuff. Important stuff. Your confidence level may be low right now but God says YOU are the most important of all things He has made! It is the truth. It's ok that you don't feel it right now but give His word a try and soak it in and within 21 days you will feel it.
It's funny how I was inspired to write about genealogy this morning as I was reading about Jesus' lineage. After watching a little news I turned to watch Joni Lamb on the Daystar channel. She was interviewing a christain psychologist by the name of Dr. Jerry Mungadze, who uses science and God's word for therapy. He is an expert on the brain and she quizzed him about this wonderful organ that we all have. He says that the functions of the brain are: to process our experiences, houses our memories and moderates hundreds of thousands of nerve signals throughout the body. He claims that identity is at the heart of insecurtiy--who you are. Growing up our parents give us our self-image. He also said that there is a section in the brain that houses our identity.
Then he revealed something wonderful. Our biological parents birthed us but God created us. He said the key thing is the human being is designed by God. We are trying to fix ourselves by ourselves. Instead we should be reaching out to the one who created us to fix us. And guess what else he said? God made you. You are an original. Do you believe it? This is one he got from God's word and science.
Let's go to Galatians. No, I not quoting the confidence elements in 5:22-23 but I do love these 2 verses. Galatians 6:4 (MSG): "Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life." Remember the list of the good and bad things I suggested you write down about you and your family? That's what God suggested for you to do.
Now back up to Galatians 5:25-26 (MSG): "Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original." There it is my friend. You are an original. There is no need to compare because we are all different and all have some wonderful qualities that Holy Dad gave just to us. That's how He makes each of us special in our own way--not a copy cat. And guess what?!?! Galatians is the second book that Holy Dad inspried--yes the one with the confidence elements. See how much He loves us!?!?
I have a 21 day journal note to fit the ocassion of identiy. Here it is:
(Based on Galatians 5:25-26 and 6: 4) Lord, I am a part of You. You lovingly created me, birthed me. Thank You for my life! Because of this fact I am going to start living my life in Your deliberate way. I am exploring who I really am and rejecting the junk I have learned from our culture. Thank You for the beautiful body you have given me. Thank You for the experiences that have made me uniquely me. Thank you for giving me the real way to live outlined in Your Word. Thank You for hope and I am embracing it and will live it out. You have made me an original! Thank You Sweet Lord!
end of journal note. Handwrite this once a day to rewire your thinking. Just think, 21 days to a new itdentity!
Friend, you have a decision to make. Do you continue down a path that someone steered you down just because you were related to them. Will you take the path that God promises will lead to a good life, one He will help you with? Come on, make your choice.
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
I have always been interested in genealogy. My great-aunt Dean Parker compiled the Parker family tree lots of years ago--before ancestry.com. She was unable to go beyond our 4 great-grandfather and so we were unable to determine where our family originated from. One day I would like to be able to join ancestry.com and find but for now--I don't know.
I faithfully watch Who Do You Think You Are and Finding Your Roots (on PBS). These folks are usually surprised to find out commonalities they share with far-away relatives. But I say that God created us with genes that are past down through DNA and we shouldn't be surprised at the similarites. A few years ago Keevin and I visited with my sister, Lorie and her family in Raliegh (Wendell), NC. We hadn't been to their home in a long time. I was surprised to see similar items in their home that we had. Lorie said, "did you buy it at Walmart?" And I answered yes, but still we bought the same things in a particular pattern. We share commonalities that we didn't know we had. A few years ago God opened my eyes to my writing gift. But when I think about what it takes for my Dad and my brother, Drew, to preach it only makes sense that they too have a gift with words. We all share common things but do them differently.
So you see looking at your family can shed some important things about who you are--the gifts you may have. And looking at your family can reveal some unnecessary behaviors that you have picked up that have nothing to do with who God made you to be. In fact these behaviors hinder you from being all you can be. A fun way to look at what is good and what is bad is to make a list of your family members. Write down the good things about each one. Ask yourself if you connect with the good thing. And list the bad behaviors. Do you suffer from the same ones? I hope to encourage you to look up the trouble areas in the Bible and convince yourself that Holy Dad wants more for you than what you are getting out of the troubled area.
My monthy Bible read (I read the same 4 chapters once a day for a month) is Matthew chapters 1-4. Matthew starts off his book with Jesus' genealogy. Matthew and Luke are the only two authors who give account of Jesus' human family line. Of course Holy Dad is His Father and also ours. Matthew's book is addressed to a Jewish audience. Luke is talking to gentiles (all other non-Jewish people). Matthew traces the lineage of Jesus through Joseph (His step-father). Luke recounts through Mary's family.
Looking through both sets of genealogies one can see some of the same people. Jewish marraiges were arranged from the same family lines. This would explain why Joseph's lineage is applicable even though he was not Jesus' biological father.
I pulled out my MacArthur Bible Handbook to research the information for today's blog. I stumbled on a chronological list of the New Testament Books. The book of Matthew was listed as number 3. I would have thought that God would have placed big importance on Jesus' life and teachings-- and I guess He did by making sure that it was the first book in the New Testament. However, the first book that He inspired is very very interesting. Have any of you ladies taken Beth Moore's Bible study "James" yet? I haven't but I am going to buy it soon. James was the first book of the New Testament God inspired. And guess who James is. James was the oldest half-brother of Jesus. Yes, a family member of Jesus. You can probably relate to the hate/love relationship with a sibling that Jesus had with His. James had at first rejected Jesus as our Messiah but later believed. James experience a relationship with a post resurrected Jesus. And what important things did God want to inspire first? James' book is about wise living, godly behavior. His passion was to teach his readors to uncompromisingly obey God's word. James teaches us about the gifts God gives us, the gifts that give us identity.
James 1:17, 18 (NCV): "Every good action and every perfect gift is from God. These good gifts come down from the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars, Who does not change like their shifting shadows. God decided to give us life through the word of truth so we might be the most important of all the things He made." Friend did you hear it? Read back through it very slowly taking note of each word and the meaning of it. This is rich stuff. Important stuff. Your confidence level may be low right now but God says YOU are the most important of all things He has made! It is the truth. It's ok that you don't feel it right now but give His word a try and soak it in and within 21 days you will feel it.
It's funny how I was inspired to write about genealogy this morning as I was reading about Jesus' lineage. After watching a little news I turned to watch Joni Lamb on the Daystar channel. She was interviewing a christain psychologist by the name of Dr. Jerry Mungadze, who uses science and God's word for therapy. He is an expert on the brain and she quizzed him about this wonderful organ that we all have. He says that the functions of the brain are: to process our experiences, houses our memories and moderates hundreds of thousands of nerve signals throughout the body. He claims that identity is at the heart of insecurtiy--who you are. Growing up our parents give us our self-image. He also said that there is a section in the brain that houses our identity.
Then he revealed something wonderful. Our biological parents birthed us but God created us. He said the key thing is the human being is designed by God. We are trying to fix ourselves by ourselves. Instead we should be reaching out to the one who created us to fix us. And guess what else he said? God made you. You are an original. Do you believe it? This is one he got from God's word and science.
Let's go to Galatians. No, I not quoting the confidence elements in 5:22-23 but I do love these 2 verses. Galatians 6:4 (MSG): "Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life." Remember the list of the good and bad things I suggested you write down about you and your family? That's what God suggested for you to do.
Now back up to Galatians 5:25-26 (MSG): "Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original." There it is my friend. You are an original. There is no need to compare because we are all different and all have some wonderful qualities that Holy Dad gave just to us. That's how He makes each of us special in our own way--not a copy cat. And guess what?!?! Galatians is the second book that Holy Dad inspried--yes the one with the confidence elements. See how much He loves us!?!?
I have a 21 day journal note to fit the ocassion of identiy. Here it is:
(Based on Galatians 5:25-26 and 6: 4) Lord, I am a part of You. You lovingly created me, birthed me. Thank You for my life! Because of this fact I am going to start living my life in Your deliberate way. I am exploring who I really am and rejecting the junk I have learned from our culture. Thank You for the beautiful body you have given me. Thank You for the experiences that have made me uniquely me. Thank you for giving me the real way to live outlined in Your Word. Thank You for hope and I am embracing it and will live it out. You have made me an original! Thank You Sweet Lord!
end of journal note. Handwrite this once a day to rewire your thinking. Just think, 21 days to a new itdentity!
Friend, you have a decision to make. Do you continue down a path that someone steered you down just because you were related to them. Will you take the path that God promises will lead to a good life, one He will help you with? Come on, make your choice.
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Thursday, April 26, 2012
4-26-12 Success despite the big fear
It's funny that today I am planning to write about replacing fear of doing something (anything) with Jesus' help and found myself frustrated with google as they had changed everything about my blog dashboard. I am very technically handicapped and this change has thrown me for a loop. I don't see the background I chose for the blog and don't know how to get it back--however, it may show up on the actual blog--I don't know. So if you are opening this post up and wondering why it's different I will tell you that I am not happy with the presentation and hope to learn more and make it prettier.
Lord Jesus, I trust You to help me figure this out and present a word of confidence to my audience that You would be happy with. Thank You!
Just this week I have been thinking about starting up a neighborhood ladies Bible study--a study of relationships. But I found my mind thinking of why I shouldn't. For most of my life I have had a problem area of the fear of rejection from people. I learned from Joyce Meyer today that there are a few common fears: fear of man (mine), fear of past mistakes, fear of the unknown, fear that God is angry with you or not pleased with you, fear of what you are-is not good enough and what you doing is never good enough, and fear of being lonely. Did you nod your head to any of these? I know I have a fear rejection from people yet I seem to always be battling it. Yes it is a battle. I won the battles on some of the other fears but now it is time to put this fear down.
The Bible teaches about these battles. 1 Timothy 4:1 (AMP): "But The [Holy] Spirit distinctly and expressly declares that in latter times some will turn away from the faith, giving attention to deluding and seducing spirits and doctrines that demons teach." It is true that I have not totally turned away from my faith but I do given much attention to spirits who are seducing me away from working for God. The thought of rejection is always in the back of my mind and may be more up front than I care to admit. Even so, it is a battle, one that I do not want to fight. The sight of that kind of battle looms large in my mind. How do I get the courage to march foward?
The Bible teaches about marching forward, too. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (MSG): "and He told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness." Weaknesses can equal fears. So, it looks like I need to stop focusing on my fear of rejection (and all things technical) and trust that Jesus is everything I need. I like The Amplified Bible version of this verse but it is lengthy--bare with me. (AMP): "But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weakness and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!"
I have come up with a new 21 Day Journal Note using these 2 versions of 2 Corinthians 12:9. Here it is:
Jesus, You are telling me that Your grace (favor, loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for me. You are enabling me to stand up and bear any trouble, danger, or fear. Jesus, Your strength and power are fulfilled and show themselves in me when I allow You to take over my problem areas. I will quit focusing on my problem areas and concentrate on Your strength and power. I am feeling Your rest and peace. Thank You Lord!
end of journal note.
I encourage you to join me in handwriting this note once a day for 21 days to rewire the brain from focusing on the fears. It's time to focus on Jesus and what He does for us and how we can teach others to turn to Him for the same help. You can exchange the words "problem areas" with an acutal problem written out. Doing this will personalize the journal note and make it more effective for you.
Let's win this battle with Jesus--We can do it with His help.
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Lord Jesus, I trust You to help me figure this out and present a word of confidence to my audience that You would be happy with. Thank You!
Just this week I have been thinking about starting up a neighborhood ladies Bible study--a study of relationships. But I found my mind thinking of why I shouldn't. For most of my life I have had a problem area of the fear of rejection from people. I learned from Joyce Meyer today that there are a few common fears: fear of man (mine), fear of past mistakes, fear of the unknown, fear that God is angry with you or not pleased with you, fear of what you are-is not good enough and what you doing is never good enough, and fear of being lonely. Did you nod your head to any of these? I know I have a fear rejection from people yet I seem to always be battling it. Yes it is a battle. I won the battles on some of the other fears but now it is time to put this fear down.
The Bible teaches about these battles. 1 Timothy 4:1 (AMP): "But The [Holy] Spirit distinctly and expressly declares that in latter times some will turn away from the faith, giving attention to deluding and seducing spirits and doctrines that demons teach." It is true that I have not totally turned away from my faith but I do given much attention to spirits who are seducing me away from working for God. The thought of rejection is always in the back of my mind and may be more up front than I care to admit. Even so, it is a battle, one that I do not want to fight. The sight of that kind of battle looms large in my mind. How do I get the courage to march foward?
The Bible teaches about marching forward, too. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (MSG): "and He told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness." Weaknesses can equal fears. So, it looks like I need to stop focusing on my fear of rejection (and all things technical) and trust that Jesus is everything I need. I like The Amplified Bible version of this verse but it is lengthy--bare with me. (AMP): "But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weakness and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!"
I have come up with a new 21 Day Journal Note using these 2 versions of 2 Corinthians 12:9. Here it is:
Jesus, You are telling me that Your grace (favor, loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for me. You are enabling me to stand up and bear any trouble, danger, or fear. Jesus, Your strength and power are fulfilled and show themselves in me when I allow You to take over my problem areas. I will quit focusing on my problem areas and concentrate on Your strength and power. I am feeling Your rest and peace. Thank You Lord!
end of journal note.
I encourage you to join me in handwriting this note once a day for 21 days to rewire the brain from focusing on the fears. It's time to focus on Jesus and what He does for us and how we can teach others to turn to Him for the same help. You can exchange the words "problem areas" with an acutal problem written out. Doing this will personalize the journal note and make it more effective for you.
Let's win this battle with Jesus--We can do it with His help.
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Friday, April 13, 2012
Glow with Health!
The multgrain bread did not agree with me this morning. I usually eat a couple of slices of plain white bread but thought I would try the other kind today. I have learned that my gut likes plain white bread better than the healthy stuff. You see, I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome--the diarrhea type and an occassional bout of constipation. Dealing with this dysfunction has been crazy for me and I'll tell you why.
I am an LPN and have known about IBS for a long time. I knew I had it. I have worked for Gastroenterologists and counseled patients with the ailment. I have been doctored by a gastroenterologist. But yet could not get a handle on it. All I had learned on how to treat it was to add fiber to my diet and take antispasmotics. Then the antispasmotics were scarce at the drug stores. I panicked because the diarrhea was a bit disabling.
I am a hyper, type A personality. Add fear and anxiety and a stressful job. What did I get? IBS. When I got serious about my relationship to Holy Dad I told Him that I wanted to work for Him. I also asked Him to heal my IBS. Well an amazing thing happened. I was scanning the internet and came across an eye-opening website: helpforibs.com authored by Heather Van Vorous. She told of things I had never heard of in all my nursing career. An interesting fact is That the enteric nervous system (ENS) is the only part of the peripheral nervous system that is capable of mediating relex behaior in the absence of input from the brain or spinal cord. In other words, there is a brain inside the bowel that is independent from the brain in the head. Her favorite analogy of having IBS is like having very sensitive skin, only the problem is internal. Causes of IBS are dietary and stress. Coffee (even decaf), fats, eggs. diary products and certain fibers are hard on the IBS sufferer. And I have to put something easy (like white bread) on the stomach first thing in the morning or
I'll be sorry. I was amazed at the results when I first starting watching when and what I ate. It feels like I've been cured of my IBS. Oh, yeah, I asked Holy Dad to heal me!! And I don't have to take any medicines for it with the exception of a fiber capsule before eating something offensive. The fiber capsule is unlike food fiber--it actually coats the intestine. I am sooo happy with the results but occasionally I try something new and discover it is a food that I need to be careful eating.
I share all of this with you because the cause of my problems is mainly stress. The definition of stressed out is: tired, nervous, etc as from overwork, mental pressure, etc. And the meaning of nervous is: emotionally tense, restless, fearful. Do any of these adjectives describe you? Stressors create a whole host of physical problems, not just IBS. That's why God talks about giving your cares over to Him, warnings of anxiety and worry, cautions of angry outbursts, etc. He knows stress can cause unhealthiness.
Let's look at Proverbs 3. This chapter deals with the benefits of wisdom. In the previous paragraphs I shared interesting facts about IBS. I took the time to read up on my dysfunction. Well God wants us to read up on His advise for all kinds of problems and solutions.
Verse 1 (MSG): Good friend, don't forget all I've taught you; take to heart my commands.
Verse 2 (GWT): Because they will bring you long life, good years, and peace.
Verse 3 (NIV): Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them on the tablet of your heart.
Verse 4 (MSG): Earn a reputation for living well in God's eyes and the eyes of the people.
Verse 5 (GNT): Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know.
Verse 6 (MSG): Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He's the one who will keep you on track.
Verse 7 (GNT): Never let yourself think that you are wiser than you are; simply obey the Lord and refuse to do wrong.
Verse 8 (MSG): Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life!
Verse 11 (GNT): My child, when the Lord corrects you, pay close attention and take it as a warning.
Verse 12 (NCV): The Lord corrects those He loves, just as parents corrects the child they delight in.
Verse 25 (MSG): No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions that doomsday's just around the corner.
Verse 26 (GWT): The Lord will be your confidence. He will keep your foot from getting caught.
Obeying God and delighting Him (making Him happy) brings on amazing happenings in our lives. He brings healing in all sorts of ways. Our lives improve so much--beyond our comprehension and imagination. He gives us His peace concerning the situations that He chooses not to change. His peace is a stress reduction by itself.
I am on day 17 of the last 21 Day Journal Note that I wrote to you about. Self-control is one of the features that God wants us to utilize. I am choosing to eat differently to have good health. What can you do differently to achieve good health? And remember that the key to my good health was well hidden from me until I made a conscious decision to serve Him with my whole life. Friend, He wants you to have good confidence and good health but you must be willing to do it His way--the right way!
For relaxation: when you take your bath tonight lovingly caress your feet with soap. Take notice of how the wash cloth or puff feels against the skin of the foot. And make sure to lather lotion on those tired, achy feet. There are lots of nerve ending in the foot and relaxation is brought on by massaging those muscles, tendons and skin. It feels really good!
Friend, pursue healthiness!
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
I am an LPN and have known about IBS for a long time. I knew I had it. I have worked for Gastroenterologists and counseled patients with the ailment. I have been doctored by a gastroenterologist. But yet could not get a handle on it. All I had learned on how to treat it was to add fiber to my diet and take antispasmotics. Then the antispasmotics were scarce at the drug stores. I panicked because the diarrhea was a bit disabling.
I am a hyper, type A personality. Add fear and anxiety and a stressful job. What did I get? IBS. When I got serious about my relationship to Holy Dad I told Him that I wanted to work for Him. I also asked Him to heal my IBS. Well an amazing thing happened. I was scanning the internet and came across an eye-opening website: helpforibs.com authored by Heather Van Vorous. She told of things I had never heard of in all my nursing career. An interesting fact is That the enteric nervous system (ENS) is the only part of the peripheral nervous system that is capable of mediating relex behaior in the absence of input from the brain or spinal cord. In other words, there is a brain inside the bowel that is independent from the brain in the head. Her favorite analogy of having IBS is like having very sensitive skin, only the problem is internal. Causes of IBS are dietary and stress. Coffee (even decaf), fats, eggs. diary products and certain fibers are hard on the IBS sufferer. And I have to put something easy (like white bread) on the stomach first thing in the morning or
I'll be sorry. I was amazed at the results when I first starting watching when and what I ate. It feels like I've been cured of my IBS. Oh, yeah, I asked Holy Dad to heal me!! And I don't have to take any medicines for it with the exception of a fiber capsule before eating something offensive. The fiber capsule is unlike food fiber--it actually coats the intestine. I am sooo happy with the results but occasionally I try something new and discover it is a food that I need to be careful eating.
I share all of this with you because the cause of my problems is mainly stress. The definition of stressed out is: tired, nervous, etc as from overwork, mental pressure, etc. And the meaning of nervous is: emotionally tense, restless, fearful. Do any of these adjectives describe you? Stressors create a whole host of physical problems, not just IBS. That's why God talks about giving your cares over to Him, warnings of anxiety and worry, cautions of angry outbursts, etc. He knows stress can cause unhealthiness.
Let's look at Proverbs 3. This chapter deals with the benefits of wisdom. In the previous paragraphs I shared interesting facts about IBS. I took the time to read up on my dysfunction. Well God wants us to read up on His advise for all kinds of problems and solutions.
Verse 1 (MSG): Good friend, don't forget all I've taught you; take to heart my commands.
Verse 2 (GWT): Because they will bring you long life, good years, and peace.
Verse 3 (NIV): Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them on the tablet of your heart.
Verse 4 (MSG): Earn a reputation for living well in God's eyes and the eyes of the people.
Verse 5 (GNT): Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know.
Verse 6 (MSG): Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He's the one who will keep you on track.
Verse 7 (GNT): Never let yourself think that you are wiser than you are; simply obey the Lord and refuse to do wrong.
Verse 8 (MSG): Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life!
Verse 11 (GNT): My child, when the Lord corrects you, pay close attention and take it as a warning.
Verse 12 (NCV): The Lord corrects those He loves, just as parents corrects the child they delight in.
Verse 25 (MSG): No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions that doomsday's just around the corner.
Verse 26 (GWT): The Lord will be your confidence. He will keep your foot from getting caught.
Obeying God and delighting Him (making Him happy) brings on amazing happenings in our lives. He brings healing in all sorts of ways. Our lives improve so much--beyond our comprehension and imagination. He gives us His peace concerning the situations that He chooses not to change. His peace is a stress reduction by itself.
I am on day 17 of the last 21 Day Journal Note that I wrote to you about. Self-control is one of the features that God wants us to utilize. I am choosing to eat differently to have good health. What can you do differently to achieve good health? And remember that the key to my good health was well hidden from me until I made a conscious decision to serve Him with my whole life. Friend, He wants you to have good confidence and good health but you must be willing to do it His way--the right way!
For relaxation: when you take your bath tonight lovingly caress your feet with soap. Take notice of how the wash cloth or puff feels against the skin of the foot. And make sure to lather lotion on those tired, achy feet. There are lots of nerve ending in the foot and relaxation is brought on by massaging those muscles, tendons and skin. It feels really good!
Friend, pursue healthiness!
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Friday, April 6, 2012
Good Friday, Good Everyday.
Yes I have returned. We had a couple of computer issues these past few weeks. I missed bloggoing to you good people. Hope all is well with you.
Rocky and I took a walk up the road yesterday. We detoured down an explored gravel street and met up with a nice neighbor. Her name is Dorothy and she has lived in her cabin for 6 years. She was headed over to her garden to cut some asparagus for her daughters birthday dinner. I asked if I could follow her to the garden. She has a really nice plot of land to work with. It is fenced in to keep the deer out and she has a compost bin, which is something I want. Her asparagus is purple and she says that it is much better than the green ones. She is growing kale, lettuce, rhubarb and blueberry vines. I spied some tallish leaves and it turns out to be garlic. This is unlike the gardens Keevin and I grew up eating from: collards, turnip and mustard greens, corn, string beans, peas, cucumbers and tomatoes, potatoes, peanuts and watermelon. Dorothy said she planted most of the items last fall and she now has these wonderful vegetables this early in the spring to enjoy. I learned alot from her.
Earlier this week I was sitting on the porch writing. A gentleman stopped his car in front of our house. He was stopping by to introduce himself. His wife grew up in our house and he told a few stories relating to that. As Rocky and I took our walk up the mountain yesterday this same gentleman stopped his truck and spoke to us on the gravel road. I have to say this is the neighborly-ist place I have ever lived in. It makes me feel at home and not alone.
Today is a celebrated day all around the world. Good Friday. There were some comments on facebook asking why not refer to this day as Bad Friday. This marks the day that Jesus experienced torture and death. I really don't like talking about His suffering because He did experience such horrific pain before death came to Him. We don't like facing pain of any kind, ours or others. But Jesus didn't experience His pain for nothing, to be brushed over, to be ignored. He died for you and me! All the suffering was the sin of the world accumulated in a time frame and He accepted it. He didn't look forward to it. He even asked His Father if there could be any other way to accomplish what we needed to please let it happen, but if this was the way it had to be--then so be it. His blood, His life blood was a payment for all the sins before and after His time of death. We owe our very lives to Him!
Is it hard for you to grasp that He is real? The fact is the people of Jesus' time didn't believe in who He said He was. He performed miracles in front of them time after time. He offered up words of wisdom. Some were willing to let go of their practical, human way of thinking and trusted Him and His words and followed Him. They experienced wonderful things of God for obeying and trusting. It doesn't mean that they were totally free of bad things but Holy Father saturated His goodness in their lives.
Peter tells of his account of Jesus to the folks he ministered to in 2 Peter 2: 16-21 (NCV): "When we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we were not telling just smart stories that someone invented. But we saw the greatness of Jesus with our own eyes. Jesus heard the voice of God, the Greatest Glory, when He received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice said, 'This is My Son, who I love, and I am very pleased with Hm.' We heard that voice from heaven while we were with Jesus on the holy mountain. This makes us more sure about the message the prophets gave. It is good for you to follow closely what they said as you would follow a light shining in a dark place, until the day begins and the morning star rises in your hearts. Most of all, you must understand this: No prophecy in the Scriptures ever comes from the prophet's own interpretation. No prophecy ever came from what a person wanted to say, but people led by the Holy Spirit spoke words from God."
People before and during Jesus' time are alot like us who are after Jesus' time. They were told about Him before He arrived and we are told about Him after He came, died and rose again--and is alive today. It is good for us to follow closely what the writers of the Bible have to say to us. Even Jesus' own words are recorded by these authors. Jesus' story is told in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These books contain lots of encouragement, cautions, hope and truth. Why not make a commitment to Jesus to study about Him. Ask Holy Father to help you be more like Him. You'll learn from the words of the 4 authors that we are to be the face of Jesus in our world, to our neighbors, friends, coworkers, family, people we rub elbows with in the grocery store, etc.
My next door neighbor is singing a solo at the Methodist church tonight. Keevin and I will dress up and go to celebrate Jesus' death, burial and resurrection with Priscilla and Doug. It is even good to see Jesus' face on our neighbors!! How are you celebrating Good Friday?
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Rocky and I took a walk up the road yesterday. We detoured down an explored gravel street and met up with a nice neighbor. Her name is Dorothy and she has lived in her cabin for 6 years. She was headed over to her garden to cut some asparagus for her daughters birthday dinner. I asked if I could follow her to the garden. She has a really nice plot of land to work with. It is fenced in to keep the deer out and she has a compost bin, which is something I want. Her asparagus is purple and she says that it is much better than the green ones. She is growing kale, lettuce, rhubarb and blueberry vines. I spied some tallish leaves and it turns out to be garlic. This is unlike the gardens Keevin and I grew up eating from: collards, turnip and mustard greens, corn, string beans, peas, cucumbers and tomatoes, potatoes, peanuts and watermelon. Dorothy said she planted most of the items last fall and she now has these wonderful vegetables this early in the spring to enjoy. I learned alot from her.
Earlier this week I was sitting on the porch writing. A gentleman stopped his car in front of our house. He was stopping by to introduce himself. His wife grew up in our house and he told a few stories relating to that. As Rocky and I took our walk up the mountain yesterday this same gentleman stopped his truck and spoke to us on the gravel road. I have to say this is the neighborly-ist place I have ever lived in. It makes me feel at home and not alone.
Today is a celebrated day all around the world. Good Friday. There were some comments on facebook asking why not refer to this day as Bad Friday. This marks the day that Jesus experienced torture and death. I really don't like talking about His suffering because He did experience such horrific pain before death came to Him. We don't like facing pain of any kind, ours or others. But Jesus didn't experience His pain for nothing, to be brushed over, to be ignored. He died for you and me! All the suffering was the sin of the world accumulated in a time frame and He accepted it. He didn't look forward to it. He even asked His Father if there could be any other way to accomplish what we needed to please let it happen, but if this was the way it had to be--then so be it. His blood, His life blood was a payment for all the sins before and after His time of death. We owe our very lives to Him!
Is it hard for you to grasp that He is real? The fact is the people of Jesus' time didn't believe in who He said He was. He performed miracles in front of them time after time. He offered up words of wisdom. Some were willing to let go of their practical, human way of thinking and trusted Him and His words and followed Him. They experienced wonderful things of God for obeying and trusting. It doesn't mean that they were totally free of bad things but Holy Father saturated His goodness in their lives.
Peter tells of his account of Jesus to the folks he ministered to in 2 Peter 2: 16-21 (NCV): "When we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we were not telling just smart stories that someone invented. But we saw the greatness of Jesus with our own eyes. Jesus heard the voice of God, the Greatest Glory, when He received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice said, 'This is My Son, who I love, and I am very pleased with Hm.' We heard that voice from heaven while we were with Jesus on the holy mountain. This makes us more sure about the message the prophets gave. It is good for you to follow closely what they said as you would follow a light shining in a dark place, until the day begins and the morning star rises in your hearts. Most of all, you must understand this: No prophecy in the Scriptures ever comes from the prophet's own interpretation. No prophecy ever came from what a person wanted to say, but people led by the Holy Spirit spoke words from God."
People before and during Jesus' time are alot like us who are after Jesus' time. They were told about Him before He arrived and we are told about Him after He came, died and rose again--and is alive today. It is good for us to follow closely what the writers of the Bible have to say to us. Even Jesus' own words are recorded by these authors. Jesus' story is told in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These books contain lots of encouragement, cautions, hope and truth. Why not make a commitment to Jesus to study about Him. Ask Holy Father to help you be more like Him. You'll learn from the words of the 4 authors that we are to be the face of Jesus in our world, to our neighbors, friends, coworkers, family, people we rub elbows with in the grocery store, etc.
My next door neighbor is singing a solo at the Methodist church tonight. Keevin and I will dress up and go to celebrate Jesus' death, burial and resurrection with Priscilla and Doug. It is even good to see Jesus' face on our neighbors!! How are you celebrating Good Friday?
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Friday, March 16, 2012
New Beginnings
2 Weeks ago I shared with you about our church assignment. We decided on a name "New Beginnings Family Church" with a purpose to help those who may have been hurt by unhealthy churches in the past. The past. It haunts us sometimes, doesn't it? Do you ever feel you are chained to the past? I do. God's word has healed me of a lot of hurts but my thoughts keep drifting backwards to past experiences--perhaps in an effort to change the outcome. Silly me. The outcome has already happened. However, I drag the negative aura of it into my present moment and I miss out on enjoying the present moment.
A few weeks ago I asked Holy Dad to talk to me about patience. Patience is one of the 9 confidence elements found in Galatians 5:22-23. I believe we give this element the least amount of attention and application of all of them. I have jotted down thoughts that have come to me and even being awakened at night by God for some inspiration. That particular night I got up and grabbed the notebook of notes because God kept sending lots of ideas, too many to remember. I put the notebook and a flashlight in my bed so I wouldn't have to keep getting it up. It was awesome because God clearly answered my prayer and met with me in a time of quietness--just me and Him. I'll share about how to achieve patience in another blog as He is still helping me to gather practical info to write about.
One day this past week I was painting some old pieces of furniture a beautiful nautical blue. Now 2 shelving units in my office look vibrant and add excitement in the room. As I was painting my mind drifted to past stuff. I found a cool local radio station of mixed music to listen to. I realized that I hadn't really felt like I was in Boone because the TV stations are all in Charlotte and I stay at home all week long. The radio station in Beech Mountain also advertised businesses in Boone and it felt good hearing that stuff. As I was painting, I found myself drifting back to other places of my past. It was while listening to the radio announcer that I realized a fact: I am in Boone, NC. I said it outloud serveral times. It helped to bring me back into the moment and enjoy where I now live and the activity I was engaged in--the present moment of restoring outdated shelves into vibrant ones. So I used that technique (reminding myself that I live in Boone, NC) everytime I caught myself drifting back. It felt good and freeing. This new habit will help to keep me in the here and now, which is a wonderful time, a new time. Every minute is a new minute. Every hour is a new hour. Every day is a new day. And on it goes.
William Donius was interviewed on Fox and Friends this morning. His book, "Thought Revolutions" sounds like a book I want to buy for reference. You know me, I love new info on how the thought life works and it sounds like he anwers a lot of questions. The interview yielded a few good nuggets of its own. He talked about the right brain and the left brain. He gave some pointers on the dominant hand and nondominant hand and handwriting. I was so intrigued that I pulled up some information on the internet. I still have more research to do but one website offered some great facts. The Bane of Your Resistance website (for blocked writers) offered this: According to newsweek "Brain scans show that handwriting engages more sections of the brain than typing." And, Virginain Berninger says that "sequential finger movements activate massive (did you hear that? massive amounts-Wynndy) regions involved in thinking, language and working memory. She also says that using a keyboard isn't the same as writing by hand. Keyboarding allows you to use one touch to select a whole letter. Handwriting requires executing sequential strokes to form each letter. The sequential finger movements engages the brain." I already knew that handwriting somehow rewires the brain--that is why I encourage you to write 21 day journal notes of God's word applying it to your problem areas. It really works.
So, are you wanting to get started on a new beginning? I have learned alot about new beginnings from the apostle Peter. 1 Peter 1:23 (MSG) says: "Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God's living Word." Does the whole handwriting thing make sense now? God's word changes our lives when we activate it. # 19 of my 20 core memory verses is from Peter but I have changed the you and we to me and my and I. The personalization of it sticks with me better. 2 Peter 1:3-4 (NCV): "Jesus has the power of God, by which He has given me everything I need to live and serve God. I have these things because I know Him. Jesus called me by His glory and goodness. Through these He gave me the very great and precious promises. With these gifts I can share in being like God, and the world will not ruin me with it's evil desires." By picking this one apart I realize I don't have any excuses for drifting back to my past or reliving it. Go back and read each section slowly and soak in what it means to you. This morning during my time with Holy Dad I realized that the next verses were eyeopeners. For this season of searching for patience the word pops out at me when reading anything. And the word patience appears in the next section of scripture. 2 Peter 5-9 (NCV): "Because you have these blessings, do your best to add these things to your lives: to your faith, add goodness; and to your goodness, add knowledge; and to your knowledge, add self-control; and to your self-control, add patience; and to your patience, add service for God; and to your service for God, add kindness for your brothers and sisers in Christ; and to this kindness, add love. If all these thngs are in you and are growing, they will help you to be useful and productive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But anyone who does not have these things cannot see clearly. He is blind and has forgotten that he was made clean from his past sins." How's that for boosting your confidence? Good advise if activated. We already have the gifts, promises and blessings from Jesus, but it is up to us to do OUR best to add the confidence elements. And notice that these elements have to be allowed to grow. Growing these things help us to live productive lives. But if we ignore these wonderful things we walk around foggy. Lack of confidence. In denial. And yes, we live in the past just like I have been doing. I'm going to incorporate these verses in a new 21 day journal note. Will you journey with me to give up the past and build on the right kind of confidence?
21 Day Journal Note # 30
Living Today Fully!
(Adapted from 2 Peter 1:5-9 NCV)
Because I have these blessings, I will do my best to add these things to my life: to my faith, I will add goodness; to my goodness, I will add knowledge; to my knowledge, I will add self-control; and to my self-control, I will add patience; and to my patience, I will add service for God; and to my service for God, I will add kindness for my brothers and sisters in Christ; and to my kindness, I will add love. All of these are in me and are growing. They will help me to be useful and productive in my knowledge of You, Jesus Christ, my Lord! I know that not having these things causes me to not see clearly. For me to allow my past to live in my present causes me to be blind. So I am committed to live in my present with You, Jesus. Thank You for my wonderful life!!
end of journal note. Friend, for a new beginning handwrite this one for 21 days to rewire your brain with God's word.
The next verse, 10 is also important. Verses 5-9 won't work if 10 is not true for you. Verse 10 (NCV): "My brothers and sisters, try hard to be certain that you really are called and chosen by God. If you do all these things, you will never fall." Friend, all believers in Christ (Christ followers) are called and chosen but no one outside of this group is called and chosen. PLEASE BE CERTAIN!
Start a new life and enjoy today, fully!
Be confident, my friend (Isaiah 32:17 NIV The fruit of righteousness is peace; the effect of righteousness is quietness and confidence forever.)
Wynndy
A few weeks ago I asked Holy Dad to talk to me about patience. Patience is one of the 9 confidence elements found in Galatians 5:22-23. I believe we give this element the least amount of attention and application of all of them. I have jotted down thoughts that have come to me and even being awakened at night by God for some inspiration. That particular night I got up and grabbed the notebook of notes because God kept sending lots of ideas, too many to remember. I put the notebook and a flashlight in my bed so I wouldn't have to keep getting it up. It was awesome because God clearly answered my prayer and met with me in a time of quietness--just me and Him. I'll share about how to achieve patience in another blog as He is still helping me to gather practical info to write about.
One day this past week I was painting some old pieces of furniture a beautiful nautical blue. Now 2 shelving units in my office look vibrant and add excitement in the room. As I was painting my mind drifted to past stuff. I found a cool local radio station of mixed music to listen to. I realized that I hadn't really felt like I was in Boone because the TV stations are all in Charlotte and I stay at home all week long. The radio station in Beech Mountain also advertised businesses in Boone and it felt good hearing that stuff. As I was painting, I found myself drifting back to other places of my past. It was while listening to the radio announcer that I realized a fact: I am in Boone, NC. I said it outloud serveral times. It helped to bring me back into the moment and enjoy where I now live and the activity I was engaged in--the present moment of restoring outdated shelves into vibrant ones. So I used that technique (reminding myself that I live in Boone, NC) everytime I caught myself drifting back. It felt good and freeing. This new habit will help to keep me in the here and now, which is a wonderful time, a new time. Every minute is a new minute. Every hour is a new hour. Every day is a new day. And on it goes.
William Donius was interviewed on Fox and Friends this morning. His book, "Thought Revolutions" sounds like a book I want to buy for reference. You know me, I love new info on how the thought life works and it sounds like he anwers a lot of questions. The interview yielded a few good nuggets of its own. He talked about the right brain and the left brain. He gave some pointers on the dominant hand and nondominant hand and handwriting. I was so intrigued that I pulled up some information on the internet. I still have more research to do but one website offered some great facts. The Bane of Your Resistance website (for blocked writers) offered this: According to newsweek "Brain scans show that handwriting engages more sections of the brain than typing." And, Virginain Berninger says that "sequential finger movements activate massive (did you hear that? massive amounts-Wynndy) regions involved in thinking, language and working memory. She also says that using a keyboard isn't the same as writing by hand. Keyboarding allows you to use one touch to select a whole letter. Handwriting requires executing sequential strokes to form each letter. The sequential finger movements engages the brain." I already knew that handwriting somehow rewires the brain--that is why I encourage you to write 21 day journal notes of God's word applying it to your problem areas. It really works.
So, are you wanting to get started on a new beginning? I have learned alot about new beginnings from the apostle Peter. 1 Peter 1:23 (MSG) says: "Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God's living Word." Does the whole handwriting thing make sense now? God's word changes our lives when we activate it. # 19 of my 20 core memory verses is from Peter but I have changed the you and we to me and my and I. The personalization of it sticks with me better. 2 Peter 1:3-4 (NCV): "Jesus has the power of God, by which He has given me everything I need to live and serve God. I have these things because I know Him. Jesus called me by His glory and goodness. Through these He gave me the very great and precious promises. With these gifts I can share in being like God, and the world will not ruin me with it's evil desires." By picking this one apart I realize I don't have any excuses for drifting back to my past or reliving it. Go back and read each section slowly and soak in what it means to you. This morning during my time with Holy Dad I realized that the next verses were eyeopeners. For this season of searching for patience the word pops out at me when reading anything. And the word patience appears in the next section of scripture. 2 Peter 5-9 (NCV): "Because you have these blessings, do your best to add these things to your lives: to your faith, add goodness; and to your goodness, add knowledge; and to your knowledge, add self-control; and to your self-control, add patience; and to your patience, add service for God; and to your service for God, add kindness for your brothers and sisers in Christ; and to this kindness, add love. If all these thngs are in you and are growing, they will help you to be useful and productive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But anyone who does not have these things cannot see clearly. He is blind and has forgotten that he was made clean from his past sins." How's that for boosting your confidence? Good advise if activated. We already have the gifts, promises and blessings from Jesus, but it is up to us to do OUR best to add the confidence elements. And notice that these elements have to be allowed to grow. Growing these things help us to live productive lives. But if we ignore these wonderful things we walk around foggy. Lack of confidence. In denial. And yes, we live in the past just like I have been doing. I'm going to incorporate these verses in a new 21 day journal note. Will you journey with me to give up the past and build on the right kind of confidence?
21 Day Journal Note # 30
Living Today Fully!
(Adapted from 2 Peter 1:5-9 NCV)
Because I have these blessings, I will do my best to add these things to my life: to my faith, I will add goodness; to my goodness, I will add knowledge; to my knowledge, I will add self-control; and to my self-control, I will add patience; and to my patience, I will add service for God; and to my service for God, I will add kindness for my brothers and sisters in Christ; and to my kindness, I will add love. All of these are in me and are growing. They will help me to be useful and productive in my knowledge of You, Jesus Christ, my Lord! I know that not having these things causes me to not see clearly. For me to allow my past to live in my present causes me to be blind. So I am committed to live in my present with You, Jesus. Thank You for my wonderful life!!
end of journal note. Friend, for a new beginning handwrite this one for 21 days to rewire your brain with God's word.
The next verse, 10 is also important. Verses 5-9 won't work if 10 is not true for you. Verse 10 (NCV): "My brothers and sisters, try hard to be certain that you really are called and chosen by God. If you do all these things, you will never fall." Friend, all believers in Christ (Christ followers) are called and chosen but no one outside of this group is called and chosen. PLEASE BE CERTAIN!
Start a new life and enjoy today, fully!
Be confident, my friend (Isaiah 32:17 NIV The fruit of righteousness is peace; the effect of righteousness is quietness and confidence forever.)
Wynndy
Friday, March 2, 2012
New Beginnings!
New Beginnings Family Church. I think we have settled on the name. Last year my husband, Keevin, felt God leading us away from middle TN to start a new church. He put fleeces out to God (asking God for definite signs) for answers like where and when. Keevin received several specific pointing signs but he wanted to be sure and asked God for more--and He gave more. When we finally felt setted that we had the answers, God gave us a bonus sign in a resturant from a waitress. I looked over at Keevin and questioned him, "did you ask God for another sign?" He replied "no, did you?" I just shook my head. "I guess this is a freebie from God. Boone, NC was the where and August 2011 was the time. So we packed up and moved our camper to Boone, NC the last weekend of August. We lived in our camper until the middle of January. Now that we are settled in our new home we have begun to make more decisions toward the new church.
Keevin and I have served in lots of churches. Some of them were unhealthy and we got hurt by church people. Can you relate? We thought about our decisions to choose the churches we did. Some were callings by God as Keevin served as Youth Minister in a few. Others were by God's leading. One particular church we wanted to leave before we did but God wouldn't release us. Church choosing is a serious matter and should be lead by God as to where you worship and serve. I have shared our church history with you because of our past hurt and pain we feel there are others out there who have suffered the same. This new church is birthed with a passion to do church in a healthy way. God's healthy way.
Keevin called me a few minutes ago to tell me that he has figured out our vision statement. I was very pleased to hear what he had to say because it is already my number one goal for my personal life. You've heard of the 10 Commandments- -but since Jesus came, ministered to us, died for us, and rose from the dead (He is alive today!!!) the 10 commandments no longer apply. Why? Because when Jesus finished His work on this earth He asked Holy Dad to send us the Holy Spirit to live inside of us, to guide us, comfort us, love on us, whatever we need--He's with us. But Jesus did announce a new commandment to replace the old ones. Mark 12:30-31 (NIV): "The most important one, answered Jesus, is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these." That is the vision statement for New Beginnings Family Church. This scripture in #1 on my 20 core memory verses--it is that important to be ingrained in the brain.
I like the above verse from The Message. It gives me a clearer picture of what God really wants from us. "Jesus said, The first in importance is, Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy. And here is the second: Love others as well as you love yourself. there is no other commandment that ranks with these." I even combine the two versions for personal growth. No matter what church you are a member of this should be a vision statement for your personal spiritual life. You'll be amazed at how He blesses you for loving on Him.
Have you ever been snubbed? At work? In a department store? At school? At church? It happens. It happens to us and we do it to others. It happens a lot at church. It is terrible that we can be mean Christian girls. That is the ugly truth. By facing it head on we can deal with. The truth is I felt certain ladies snubbing me in the past at different churches. I used to get hung up on the idea and go paralyzed spiritually and emotionally and that effected my behavior. I was of no use to God. By employing the 21 Day Journal Notes I have been healed of the snubbing effect. But of course that didn't stop folks from snubbing me. As it happened to me again I just walked past it mentally with a little stinging felt but it didn't devastate me as before. Then recently a gentleman from one of our past churches told Keevin during a phone conversation, that the ladies of the church had snubbed me and he gave details about it. When Keevin told me about the conversation I was overwhelmed with sadness and loneliness. As I reviewed my behavior toward those ladies I could not detect any maliciousness on my part (because sometimes we cause the behavior given to us). Feelings of worthlessness surfaced so I talked to Holy Dad about it. The subject became a passion for the week. I wanted me and the Holy Spirit to conquer this devilish thing.
What I want to teach you is how to overcome whatever problem area you have in your life. First of all talk to Holy Dad about it. Cry to Him, tell Him all the details. Then let Him speak back to you and search the scriptures for verses that apply and tell you how to correct the problem area. Trust Him to heal you and lead you to do whatever it is that He asks you to do. I find it helpful to have a dictionary handy. Knowing what your problem means can help you find the answer.
As for the snubbing, Webster says: to treat with scorn, disdain, etc. Scorn means extreme, often indignant, contempt. to refuse or reject with scorn. Disdain is to regard as beneath one's dignity, scorn. aloof. And indignant means feeling or expressing anger, especailly at unjust or mean action. Do you see how I followed the dictionary for a clear picture of what really is happening here? Indignant came up a couple of times and notice the word anger in it's definition. I googled snub on the internet and it led me to psychologytoday.com. Psychologytoday.com explains that the cause is resentment--years of imagined or real episodes of disrespect or disregard. I'm talking about the people who snub you--this is why. And if you find yourself snubbing someone--take notice and deal with your own history. The same website went on to say that "resentment is bascially a refusal to forgive, an unwillingness to let bygones be bygones and bury the hatchet. We review and rehash our painful past, even as we profess to want to let go of it." Are you getting the picture? Psychologytoday.com says that resentment is an addictive state of mind---yes addictive. So often we don't realize we are doing it but we sure feel it when it is being done to us.
Now on to what God's word says. Galatians 6:1-3 (MSG): "Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived." God wants us to deal with our mess and our church family members's mess. Help each other out. The person who snubs you probably doesn't know why he/she does it--but you do, now. Pray for that soul to have a softened heart and to be healed by God from the pain and hurt. Don't kid yourself into thinking that you don't have the same problem because you might--and you might not. Just keep a watch on yourself. Holy Dad wants you to forgive the one who offended you even though it feels tough to do it.
Now forget about the episode. Ask Holy Dad to help you erase the memory of it--or better yet, heal the memory with forgiveness. But as for the forgetting, take a look at Philippians 3:13 (NIV): "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead." Forgetfulness can be a healthy God-tool. He gives us His power and strength (other God-tools) and this would be a time to call in on them.
But church family member, have patience with God as He works on the one who snubs you. John 3:20 (MSG): "Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure." People who are full of pain will do anything to avoid pain including denial and believing illusions that they are in the right. If you've ever been addicted to something you know that overcoming addictions is hard--but possible. If you have been a follower of this blog you know that I lovingly refer to Galatians 5:22-23 as the confidence elements: love, joy, peace, patence, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. But look at what's listed in verses 19- 21 and the other items listed with it (how bad they are): (MSG): "It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; and impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of communtiy. I could go on." How many of those jumped out at you--either you are doing them or they have been done to you? Do you really like that kind of life? Do you want to change it? Then do things God's way.
Doing things God's way produces this effect, Galatians 5:22-23 (MSG): "But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard--things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely." I like those thoughts a lot better than the previous verses. And these 2 verses sound like what I hope New Beginnings Family Church represent--all done because we love our Holy God with our total being and energies and love one another.
Friend, you may have found yourself snubbed not because you are another woman but because you are of a different skin color or nationality. Or you may have a handicap or physical impairment. You may have allowed your past pain and hurt to cause obesity or anorexia, anxiety, impusivity, etc. Folks often look down on these issues and people but that's not God's way. Look at what Jesus did and is still doing today, Matthew 9:35-36 (MSG): "Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When He looked out over the crowds, His heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. 'What a huge harvest!' He said to the disciples. 'How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!'" Friend, we are the harvest hands that He is wanting. Be healed so you can help heal others. And pray for healing of those who are hurting you--because they are hurting inside.
Friend, if I have snubbed you--please forgive me and please forget that I snubbed you. And friend, if you have snubbed me--please be assured that I forgive you and I am forgetting about it. You are free to live guilt-free of this bad thing. I love you!
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Keevin and I have served in lots of churches. Some of them were unhealthy and we got hurt by church people. Can you relate? We thought about our decisions to choose the churches we did. Some were callings by God as Keevin served as Youth Minister in a few. Others were by God's leading. One particular church we wanted to leave before we did but God wouldn't release us. Church choosing is a serious matter and should be lead by God as to where you worship and serve. I have shared our church history with you because of our past hurt and pain we feel there are others out there who have suffered the same. This new church is birthed with a passion to do church in a healthy way. God's healthy way.
Keevin called me a few minutes ago to tell me that he has figured out our vision statement. I was very pleased to hear what he had to say because it is already my number one goal for my personal life. You've heard of the 10 Commandments- -but since Jesus came, ministered to us, died for us, and rose from the dead (He is alive today!!!) the 10 commandments no longer apply. Why? Because when Jesus finished His work on this earth He asked Holy Dad to send us the Holy Spirit to live inside of us, to guide us, comfort us, love on us, whatever we need--He's with us. But Jesus did announce a new commandment to replace the old ones. Mark 12:30-31 (NIV): "The most important one, answered Jesus, is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these." That is the vision statement for New Beginnings Family Church. This scripture in #1 on my 20 core memory verses--it is that important to be ingrained in the brain.
I like the above verse from The Message. It gives me a clearer picture of what God really wants from us. "Jesus said, The first in importance is, Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy. And here is the second: Love others as well as you love yourself. there is no other commandment that ranks with these." I even combine the two versions for personal growth. No matter what church you are a member of this should be a vision statement for your personal spiritual life. You'll be amazed at how He blesses you for loving on Him.
Have you ever been snubbed? At work? In a department store? At school? At church? It happens. It happens to us and we do it to others. It happens a lot at church. It is terrible that we can be mean Christian girls. That is the ugly truth. By facing it head on we can deal with. The truth is I felt certain ladies snubbing me in the past at different churches. I used to get hung up on the idea and go paralyzed spiritually and emotionally and that effected my behavior. I was of no use to God. By employing the 21 Day Journal Notes I have been healed of the snubbing effect. But of course that didn't stop folks from snubbing me. As it happened to me again I just walked past it mentally with a little stinging felt but it didn't devastate me as before. Then recently a gentleman from one of our past churches told Keevin during a phone conversation, that the ladies of the church had snubbed me and he gave details about it. When Keevin told me about the conversation I was overwhelmed with sadness and loneliness. As I reviewed my behavior toward those ladies I could not detect any maliciousness on my part (because sometimes we cause the behavior given to us). Feelings of worthlessness surfaced so I talked to Holy Dad about it. The subject became a passion for the week. I wanted me and the Holy Spirit to conquer this devilish thing.
What I want to teach you is how to overcome whatever problem area you have in your life. First of all talk to Holy Dad about it. Cry to Him, tell Him all the details. Then let Him speak back to you and search the scriptures for verses that apply and tell you how to correct the problem area. Trust Him to heal you and lead you to do whatever it is that He asks you to do. I find it helpful to have a dictionary handy. Knowing what your problem means can help you find the answer.
As for the snubbing, Webster says: to treat with scorn, disdain, etc. Scorn means extreme, often indignant, contempt. to refuse or reject with scorn. Disdain is to regard as beneath one's dignity, scorn. aloof. And indignant means feeling or expressing anger, especailly at unjust or mean action. Do you see how I followed the dictionary for a clear picture of what really is happening here? Indignant came up a couple of times and notice the word anger in it's definition. I googled snub on the internet and it led me to psychologytoday.com. Psychologytoday.com explains that the cause is resentment--years of imagined or real episodes of disrespect or disregard. I'm talking about the people who snub you--this is why. And if you find yourself snubbing someone--take notice and deal with your own history. The same website went on to say that "resentment is bascially a refusal to forgive, an unwillingness to let bygones be bygones and bury the hatchet. We review and rehash our painful past, even as we profess to want to let go of it." Are you getting the picture? Psychologytoday.com says that resentment is an addictive state of mind---yes addictive. So often we don't realize we are doing it but we sure feel it when it is being done to us.
Now on to what God's word says. Galatians 6:1-3 (MSG): "Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived." God wants us to deal with our mess and our church family members's mess. Help each other out. The person who snubs you probably doesn't know why he/she does it--but you do, now. Pray for that soul to have a softened heart and to be healed by God from the pain and hurt. Don't kid yourself into thinking that you don't have the same problem because you might--and you might not. Just keep a watch on yourself. Holy Dad wants you to forgive the one who offended you even though it feels tough to do it.
Now forget about the episode. Ask Holy Dad to help you erase the memory of it--or better yet, heal the memory with forgiveness. But as for the forgetting, take a look at Philippians 3:13 (NIV): "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead." Forgetfulness can be a healthy God-tool. He gives us His power and strength (other God-tools) and this would be a time to call in on them.
But church family member, have patience with God as He works on the one who snubs you. John 3:20 (MSG): "Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure." People who are full of pain will do anything to avoid pain including denial and believing illusions that they are in the right. If you've ever been addicted to something you know that overcoming addictions is hard--but possible. If you have been a follower of this blog you know that I lovingly refer to Galatians 5:22-23 as the confidence elements: love, joy, peace, patence, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. But look at what's listed in verses 19- 21 and the other items listed with it (how bad they are): (MSG): "It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; and impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of communtiy. I could go on." How many of those jumped out at you--either you are doing them or they have been done to you? Do you really like that kind of life? Do you want to change it? Then do things God's way.
Doing things God's way produces this effect, Galatians 5:22-23 (MSG): "But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard--things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely." I like those thoughts a lot better than the previous verses. And these 2 verses sound like what I hope New Beginnings Family Church represent--all done because we love our Holy God with our total being and energies and love one another.
Friend, you may have found yourself snubbed not because you are another woman but because you are of a different skin color or nationality. Or you may have a handicap or physical impairment. You may have allowed your past pain and hurt to cause obesity or anorexia, anxiety, impusivity, etc. Folks often look down on these issues and people but that's not God's way. Look at what Jesus did and is still doing today, Matthew 9:35-36 (MSG): "Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When He looked out over the crowds, His heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. 'What a huge harvest!' He said to the disciples. 'How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!'" Friend, we are the harvest hands that He is wanting. Be healed so you can help heal others. And pray for healing of those who are hurting you--because they are hurting inside.
Friend, if I have snubbed you--please forgive me and please forget that I snubbed you. And friend, if you have snubbed me--please be assured that I forgive you and I am forgetting about it. You are free to live guilt-free of this bad thing. I love you!
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Friday, February 24, 2012
What am I doing?
Happy Friday, friends! And it's a warm one at that! Everyone is ready to feel spring weather and enjoy the outdoors.
To my Jacksonville, NC friends--we are saddened by a family facing tragedy of a housefire and 3 children perishing in the fire. Other family members are being treated at 3 different hospitals. Sounds like this is a God-loving family and lots and lots of folks are praying for them.
Sometimes big, bad things that happen to folks in our communities that cause folks to rally around the victims and give support and whatever they need. It's during events such as this that ministries are born. A person might discover that they are good at planning a fund-raiser for such a time. I have a friend in Murfreesboro, TN who collects furniture and clothing to help burned out families because she has had several co-workers who had that same need. Now she finds great pleasure in helping folks in bad situations.
People who are fortunate enough to discover a passion suddenly finds themselves with a purpose in life. It is a very good and satisfying feeling. It's what God intends for our lives. But we may have to clear out some inappropriate passions that lead to wrong purposes. A passion is any emotion--hate, love, or fear. It is an intense emotional excitement such as rage, enthusiasm or lust. It is also the sufferings of Jesus, beginning after the Last Supper and continuing to His death on the Cross. You can see that hate and fear, rage and lust are not the plans and designs God would have you operating under. You probably didn't know that your anger issues, hate, overwhelming fears and lust are causing you to be a not-so-confident person.
There have been 3 different people in the news that have followed their passions and had different outcomes. February is African-American month. Fox & Friends have shared good stories of folks who have succeeded in life. The story was told yesterday of a 79 year old african-american lady who had a great attitude about life. Her father died before she was 2 years old so she and her sister were raised by a single mother. Her mother taught her that life can be unfair and not always smooth. She learned that lesson early in life from her mother and it shaped how she dealt with the bad things that came up. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in her twenties. She was treated and healed but had to have partial mastectomies. In her sixties she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She now has lower percentage of lung capacity as surgeons removed a lobe from her lung. But did that stop her from enjoying life? She was determined to travel somewhere that no african-american woman had been to. So a few years ago she learned how to fundraise and recieved moneys enabling her to go and enjoy the North Pole. Since then she has step foot on the South Pole. And she has another trip planned that no african-american woman has accomplished but we will have to wait until next year to hear about that trip. Don't forget that she is 79 years young.
A second person is Whitney Houston. Everyone has heard that she passed away probably from a bad combination of prescriptive meds and alcohol. She started out singing for our great God in church. Then she got side-tracted and the drugs seem to have control over the rest of her life. Drugs were her passion and became her purpose. It's interesting that her mother wrote her a letter for the day of the funeral. Cissy Houston tells a post-life Whitney that the day she was born the Holy Spirit told her that she would not have Whitney for a long time. The Holy Spirit knew what Whitney would have passion for.
A third person is the 34 year old pastor (husband and father) who is in prison and scheduled for execution in Iran because of his faith (and refusing to give it up) in Jesus Christ. Holy Dad, we ask you to give comfort to this awesome man of yours and strength to his wife and children. Please put your arms around them and tell them that everything is going to be ok. Father, I know you have a reason for allowing this bad thing to happen. Perhaps it is to shock us americans to a reality that our brothers and sisters in other countries would love it if they could worship you freely just as we do. The amazing thing is they worship You regardless of their life expectancy. I am afraid we take our freedoms for granted and do not elevate You high enough because we are not challenged. Thank You Lord for whatever it is that You do for this Iranian pastor and His family!
1Peter 4: 1-2 (MSG) says this: "Since Jesus went through everything you're going through and more, learn to think like Him. Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you'll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want." We are a spoiled country. We are spoiled Christians. The beginning of our country was for Godly and noble purposes. But my have we traveled so far from it that we no longer are connected with the reason for the pilgrims to cross the Atlantic and suffer diseases and death and barren land that had to be fashioned into liveable habitats.
A friend of mine (from Lascassas, TN) sent me a verse for the day. It is a good one. James 1:17 (NCV): "Every good action and every perfect gift is from God. These good gifts come down from the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars, who does not change like their shifting shadows." What this is telling us is that whatever comes our way in life, whatever Holy Dad allows to happen to us, is a gift. Holy Dad gifts us with passions and purposes so we can do the things He has planned out for us. Friend, He gifts us with life made new through His Holy Word. Verse 18: "God decided to give us life through the word of truth so we might be the most important of all the things He made." Wow. He wants to shape us and give us great lives because we are the most important things He made--but friend, allow Him to remake you into something great by following what He says to do in His word.
What events in your life has had a negative impact that can be turned around (with Holy Dad's help) to serve His purposes? If you have had the great pleasure of discovering your passion and purpose--I challenge you to step it up to the next level. What bad thing has control over you that keeps you from having a conscious life? Holy Dad can help with this! Beth Moore's blog contains segments that her sister, Gay, has written about her hopeless alcoholic years and the rescuing by Holy Dad who heard her cries for help. It is inspiring even in a helpless 35 or so year span. Can you guess Gay's new purpose and passion? Yep. Helping other ladies in need of help in their hopelessness. It's a good read if you are inclined to google it. Just google Beth Moore and you'll see it.
And of course I have a 21 Day Journal Note that fits well with this topic.
21 Day Journal Note # 29
Really Bad Decisions
Lord Jesus, I am painfully admitting to You today that in the past I have committed really, really bad sins. Lord I know that abortions, sexual promiscuity, fantasies, cheating, lying, gossiping, meddling into others business, stealing, physical abuse to others, abandonment, harshness, bullying others and myself, etc, are all terribly wrong. The things I am guilty of are weighing heavy on my mind and have for a very, very long time. It consumes me and controls me. I am ready to give it up and give it to You. I am reading Psalm 32:1 (NLT) "Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!: Please Jesus, help me to forgive myself! I have read in Matthew 12:32 (MSG): "If you reject the Son of Man out of some misunderstanding, the Holy Spirit can forgive you, but when you reject the Holy Spirit, you're sawing off the branch on which you're sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives." As long as I accept and not reject You, Holy Spirit, I am ok! My Lord, please help me to forgive myself and others who may have contributed to the state I found myself in at the time of my sins. My Lord, heal my wounded heart from this grief. Thank You immensely.
end of journal note. Friend, hand write this 21 day journal note once a day for 21 days to give your life new passion and purpose.
Now really start living!
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
To my Jacksonville, NC friends--we are saddened by a family facing tragedy of a housefire and 3 children perishing in the fire. Other family members are being treated at 3 different hospitals. Sounds like this is a God-loving family and lots and lots of folks are praying for them.
Sometimes big, bad things that happen to folks in our communities that cause folks to rally around the victims and give support and whatever they need. It's during events such as this that ministries are born. A person might discover that they are good at planning a fund-raiser for such a time. I have a friend in Murfreesboro, TN who collects furniture and clothing to help burned out families because she has had several co-workers who had that same need. Now she finds great pleasure in helping folks in bad situations.
People who are fortunate enough to discover a passion suddenly finds themselves with a purpose in life. It is a very good and satisfying feeling. It's what God intends for our lives. But we may have to clear out some inappropriate passions that lead to wrong purposes. A passion is any emotion--hate, love, or fear. It is an intense emotional excitement such as rage, enthusiasm or lust. It is also the sufferings of Jesus, beginning after the Last Supper and continuing to His death on the Cross. You can see that hate and fear, rage and lust are not the plans and designs God would have you operating under. You probably didn't know that your anger issues, hate, overwhelming fears and lust are causing you to be a not-so-confident person.
There have been 3 different people in the news that have followed their passions and had different outcomes. February is African-American month. Fox & Friends have shared good stories of folks who have succeeded in life. The story was told yesterday of a 79 year old african-american lady who had a great attitude about life. Her father died before she was 2 years old so she and her sister were raised by a single mother. Her mother taught her that life can be unfair and not always smooth. She learned that lesson early in life from her mother and it shaped how she dealt with the bad things that came up. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in her twenties. She was treated and healed but had to have partial mastectomies. In her sixties she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She now has lower percentage of lung capacity as surgeons removed a lobe from her lung. But did that stop her from enjoying life? She was determined to travel somewhere that no african-american woman had been to. So a few years ago she learned how to fundraise and recieved moneys enabling her to go and enjoy the North Pole. Since then she has step foot on the South Pole. And she has another trip planned that no african-american woman has accomplished but we will have to wait until next year to hear about that trip. Don't forget that she is 79 years young.
A second person is Whitney Houston. Everyone has heard that she passed away probably from a bad combination of prescriptive meds and alcohol. She started out singing for our great God in church. Then she got side-tracted and the drugs seem to have control over the rest of her life. Drugs were her passion and became her purpose. It's interesting that her mother wrote her a letter for the day of the funeral. Cissy Houston tells a post-life Whitney that the day she was born the Holy Spirit told her that she would not have Whitney for a long time. The Holy Spirit knew what Whitney would have passion for.
A third person is the 34 year old pastor (husband and father) who is in prison and scheduled for execution in Iran because of his faith (and refusing to give it up) in Jesus Christ. Holy Dad, we ask you to give comfort to this awesome man of yours and strength to his wife and children. Please put your arms around them and tell them that everything is going to be ok. Father, I know you have a reason for allowing this bad thing to happen. Perhaps it is to shock us americans to a reality that our brothers and sisters in other countries would love it if they could worship you freely just as we do. The amazing thing is they worship You regardless of their life expectancy. I am afraid we take our freedoms for granted and do not elevate You high enough because we are not challenged. Thank You Lord for whatever it is that You do for this Iranian pastor and His family!
1Peter 4: 1-2 (MSG) says this: "Since Jesus went through everything you're going through and more, learn to think like Him. Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you'll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want." We are a spoiled country. We are spoiled Christians. The beginning of our country was for Godly and noble purposes. But my have we traveled so far from it that we no longer are connected with the reason for the pilgrims to cross the Atlantic and suffer diseases and death and barren land that had to be fashioned into liveable habitats.
A friend of mine (from Lascassas, TN) sent me a verse for the day. It is a good one. James 1:17 (NCV): "Every good action and every perfect gift is from God. These good gifts come down from the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars, who does not change like their shifting shadows." What this is telling us is that whatever comes our way in life, whatever Holy Dad allows to happen to us, is a gift. Holy Dad gifts us with passions and purposes so we can do the things He has planned out for us. Friend, He gifts us with life made new through His Holy Word. Verse 18: "God decided to give us life through the word of truth so we might be the most important of all the things He made." Wow. He wants to shape us and give us great lives because we are the most important things He made--but friend, allow Him to remake you into something great by following what He says to do in His word.
What events in your life has had a negative impact that can be turned around (with Holy Dad's help) to serve His purposes? If you have had the great pleasure of discovering your passion and purpose--I challenge you to step it up to the next level. What bad thing has control over you that keeps you from having a conscious life? Holy Dad can help with this! Beth Moore's blog contains segments that her sister, Gay, has written about her hopeless alcoholic years and the rescuing by Holy Dad who heard her cries for help. It is inspiring even in a helpless 35 or so year span. Can you guess Gay's new purpose and passion? Yep. Helping other ladies in need of help in their hopelessness. It's a good read if you are inclined to google it. Just google Beth Moore and you'll see it.
And of course I have a 21 Day Journal Note that fits well with this topic.
21 Day Journal Note # 29
Really Bad Decisions
Lord Jesus, I am painfully admitting to You today that in the past I have committed really, really bad sins. Lord I know that abortions, sexual promiscuity, fantasies, cheating, lying, gossiping, meddling into others business, stealing, physical abuse to others, abandonment, harshness, bullying others and myself, etc, are all terribly wrong. The things I am guilty of are weighing heavy on my mind and have for a very, very long time. It consumes me and controls me. I am ready to give it up and give it to You. I am reading Psalm 32:1 (NLT) "Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!: Please Jesus, help me to forgive myself! I have read in Matthew 12:32 (MSG): "If you reject the Son of Man out of some misunderstanding, the Holy Spirit can forgive you, but when you reject the Holy Spirit, you're sawing off the branch on which you're sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives." As long as I accept and not reject You, Holy Spirit, I am ok! My Lord, please help me to forgive myself and others who may have contributed to the state I found myself in at the time of my sins. My Lord, heal my wounded heart from this grief. Thank You immensely.
end of journal note. Friend, hand write this 21 day journal note once a day for 21 days to give your life new passion and purpose.
Now really start living!
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Friday, February 17, 2012
House Cleaning
I was sitting on our sofa this morning looking up some definitions for today's blog when I heard a soft knock on the front door. It was our next-door neighbor. This is the best neighborhood I have ever lived in. She brought over some cookies with a note welcoming us to the neighborhood. She included their telephone number should I need anything. Isn't that sweet? As we stood in the living room talking she looked around and commented at how the owners had remolded nicely. I could tell she wanted a tour so we walked around and looked at the rooms. I appologized for the unkemptness. We still have unopened boxes lying around and the place could use a clean-up. To tell you the truth, I have been laying around and taking it easy this week. We traveled last weekend to Murfreesboro, TN for our daughter's wedding. The weekend was a full and intense one--but highly enjoyable one. When Keevin and I arrived home on Monday afternoon we were both exhasted. Poor Keevin had to go on to work that evening. So needless to say, the house was not touched much. But I hadn't paid much attention to the state of the house untill our neighbor came in.
Well, our spiritual houses get kinda dirty without us noticing untill something causes us to take notice. Some of the things that cause us to notice our dirty spiritual houses are restlessness, sadness, anger, resentment, agitation, etc. Anything that is opposite the list of confidence elements found in Galatians 5:22-23. If those signs and symptoms are not dealt with early on then they become a part of our daily lives and we get used to them. But what can cause us to face reality? A holiday comes along like Valentine's Day and we remember the bitterness we have toward someone who has hurt us. We are upset that we don't have a romantic interest at this time. We don't have the money to celebrate the holiday. Those are a few. What is your complaint about Valentine's Day or other holidays? I want to explain what has happened to you. A memory buried deep in your subconcious has been awakened. The definition of subconcious is occuring with little or no conscious perception on the part of the individual. Unconscious means the sum of all thoughts, impulses, etc. of which the individual is not conscious but which influences the emotions and behavior. The effects of stored bad feelings is a smoldering danger.
This seems way too deep to deal with, doesn't it? I agree but there was a time when I was fed up with feeling boxed in. Do you feel the same? Do you feel stuck in a rut? The word stuck means to be obstructed, detained, puzzled/baffled. It also means to cling, remain and to persevere, embedded and jammed. Did you notice persevere? That's a Bible word. Yes, my friend, it is a Bible word but in this context it is a negative. What might you be holding onto?
Someone in your past may have hurt you, emotionally or physically. It is rightful for you to have felt anger about the situation but holding onto the anger is causing you great harm--not the person who initially hurt you. Someone in your past may have said things to cause you to give up on hope, a future or happiness. You may be overwhelmed by overrun finances and just don't know what to do. Your thinking system is clogged with all of this junk.
So how do we begin to clean up our spiritual houses? God's word gives all the advise we need. John 15:3 (GNT): "You have been made clean already by the teaching I have given you." He is teaching us everything we need to know in order to clean up. The scripture that I love alot is Hebrews 9:14 (GNT): "How much more is accomplished by the blood of Christ! Through the eternal Spirit He offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice to God. His blood will purify our consciences from usless rituals, so that we may serve the living God." You see God's word and Spirit doesn't work unless we are true believers and followers of Jesus Christ. We learned last week that Jesus loved us so much that He died for us to pay for our sins (remember what happened in the Garden of Eden?--we messed up a perfect thing). In order for us to get back in sinc with God we have to trust that Jesus is who He says He is. By having the Holy Spirit live inside of us we have all sorts of wonderful resources to get ourselves right. Did you notice in that verse that it mentions our consciences and useless rituals? Those are the tapes we wind and rewind in our minds and relive over and over again. What's up with all that junk in our subconicious?
If we had good stuff (God's stuff) enbedded in our subconcious then good behavior and emotions would happen. But as it is you may have bad stuff in there. Remember the pain and hurt that someone caused you in your past? You may be experiencing repressed anger. Repressed means to hold back, restrain. Psychiatry refers to it as: to force (painful ideas, etc) into the subconcious. Humm. To Force. That means going over the event again and again. We unknowingly do it trying to do it over again but it doesn't get a do-over, just a done again. All of this resentment builds and our subconcious seeks an outlet. That outlet leads to hatred. We claim the person as an enemy and feel that revenging the person will make us feel better. An enemy is one who hates and wishes to injure another. As it turns out--you are the enemy--not the other person. You wish to injure the other. The other person may not know that you are hurt by their actions or may have forgotten about the event. Ephesians 4:26 (MSG) says this about anger: "Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry--but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don't stay angry. Don't go to bed angry." Your anger is justified, just not permitted to carry it in your heart forever. We humans hate to forget. I think we feel we are entitled to our rememberances--but it's those memories that cause us to be dirty and diseased. Disease means a particular destructive process in an organism. I believe it fits here. So what do we do with these diseased memories? We forget them. Leviticus 19:18 (NCV): "Forget about the wrong things people do to you, and do not try to get even. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am the Lord." I know it's hard to forget, especially when you have played that tape over and over again in your mind. You are ahead of this new game if you started the 21 Day Journal Notes from last week. Have you started, yet? His words are meant to replace those bad, nasty memories. His words create new tapes that you will welcome to be played over and over again.
Now, let's talk about what God says about our enemies. You may have someone who continues to hurt you--often. Matthew 5:44 (MSG): "I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer." After you get over your angry spell (before bed time) go to God and ask Him to help you forgive this person and forget the bad stuff. Then ask God what it is that He wants you to pray for this person. It may be relational healing, certainly salvation and a good relationship with Holy Dad.
But don't think that just because you have forgiven and forgotten about the event that the bad person will get off. Holy Dad will take care of it. He takes the burden off of you so that you can live a great life. Romans 12:19 (NCV): "My friends, do not try to punish others when they wrong you, but wait for God to punish them with His anger. It is written: I will punish those who do wrong; I will repay them, says the Lord."
Holy Dad gives us warnings about not listening to His teachings. 1 Peter 5:8 (NCV): "Control yourselves and be careful! The devil, your enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat." You see, Satan is the real enemy. It is he who is controling the bad person in your life. And don't allow yourself to be the bad person, too. Ephesians 4:27 (NLT): "For anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil." A foothold is a secure position. Think about it. SECURE. Take the security out of it and give Holy Dad control.
If you find yourself struggling with loyalty toward someone who has been hurt and feeling the need to hate the guilty party, I suggest you talk to Holy Dad and ask Him to take your own guilt-ridden feelings out of the picture and to help you pray for all those involved in the event the way He wants you to.
Now, friend, persevere God's way and not persevere the wrong way!
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Well, our spiritual houses get kinda dirty without us noticing untill something causes us to take notice. Some of the things that cause us to notice our dirty spiritual houses are restlessness, sadness, anger, resentment, agitation, etc. Anything that is opposite the list of confidence elements found in Galatians 5:22-23. If those signs and symptoms are not dealt with early on then they become a part of our daily lives and we get used to them. But what can cause us to face reality? A holiday comes along like Valentine's Day and we remember the bitterness we have toward someone who has hurt us. We are upset that we don't have a romantic interest at this time. We don't have the money to celebrate the holiday. Those are a few. What is your complaint about Valentine's Day or other holidays? I want to explain what has happened to you. A memory buried deep in your subconcious has been awakened. The definition of subconcious is occuring with little or no conscious perception on the part of the individual. Unconscious means the sum of all thoughts, impulses, etc. of which the individual is not conscious but which influences the emotions and behavior. The effects of stored bad feelings is a smoldering danger.
This seems way too deep to deal with, doesn't it? I agree but there was a time when I was fed up with feeling boxed in. Do you feel the same? Do you feel stuck in a rut? The word stuck means to be obstructed, detained, puzzled/baffled. It also means to cling, remain and to persevere, embedded and jammed. Did you notice persevere? That's a Bible word. Yes, my friend, it is a Bible word but in this context it is a negative. What might you be holding onto?
Someone in your past may have hurt you, emotionally or physically. It is rightful for you to have felt anger about the situation but holding onto the anger is causing you great harm--not the person who initially hurt you. Someone in your past may have said things to cause you to give up on hope, a future or happiness. You may be overwhelmed by overrun finances and just don't know what to do. Your thinking system is clogged with all of this junk.
So how do we begin to clean up our spiritual houses? God's word gives all the advise we need. John 15:3 (GNT): "You have been made clean already by the teaching I have given you." He is teaching us everything we need to know in order to clean up. The scripture that I love alot is Hebrews 9:14 (GNT): "How much more is accomplished by the blood of Christ! Through the eternal Spirit He offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice to God. His blood will purify our consciences from usless rituals, so that we may serve the living God." You see God's word and Spirit doesn't work unless we are true believers and followers of Jesus Christ. We learned last week that Jesus loved us so much that He died for us to pay for our sins (remember what happened in the Garden of Eden?--we messed up a perfect thing). In order for us to get back in sinc with God we have to trust that Jesus is who He says He is. By having the Holy Spirit live inside of us we have all sorts of wonderful resources to get ourselves right. Did you notice in that verse that it mentions our consciences and useless rituals? Those are the tapes we wind and rewind in our minds and relive over and over again. What's up with all that junk in our subconicious?
If we had good stuff (God's stuff) enbedded in our subconcious then good behavior and emotions would happen. But as it is you may have bad stuff in there. Remember the pain and hurt that someone caused you in your past? You may be experiencing repressed anger. Repressed means to hold back, restrain. Psychiatry refers to it as: to force (painful ideas, etc) into the subconcious. Humm. To Force. That means going over the event again and again. We unknowingly do it trying to do it over again but it doesn't get a do-over, just a done again. All of this resentment builds and our subconcious seeks an outlet. That outlet leads to hatred. We claim the person as an enemy and feel that revenging the person will make us feel better. An enemy is one who hates and wishes to injure another. As it turns out--you are the enemy--not the other person. You wish to injure the other. The other person may not know that you are hurt by their actions or may have forgotten about the event. Ephesians 4:26 (MSG) says this about anger: "Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry--but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don't stay angry. Don't go to bed angry." Your anger is justified, just not permitted to carry it in your heart forever. We humans hate to forget. I think we feel we are entitled to our rememberances--but it's those memories that cause us to be dirty and diseased. Disease means a particular destructive process in an organism. I believe it fits here. So what do we do with these diseased memories? We forget them. Leviticus 19:18 (NCV): "Forget about the wrong things people do to you, and do not try to get even. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am the Lord." I know it's hard to forget, especially when you have played that tape over and over again in your mind. You are ahead of this new game if you started the 21 Day Journal Notes from last week. Have you started, yet? His words are meant to replace those bad, nasty memories. His words create new tapes that you will welcome to be played over and over again.
Now, let's talk about what God says about our enemies. You may have someone who continues to hurt you--often. Matthew 5:44 (MSG): "I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer." After you get over your angry spell (before bed time) go to God and ask Him to help you forgive this person and forget the bad stuff. Then ask God what it is that He wants you to pray for this person. It may be relational healing, certainly salvation and a good relationship with Holy Dad.
But don't think that just because you have forgiven and forgotten about the event that the bad person will get off. Holy Dad will take care of it. He takes the burden off of you so that you can live a great life. Romans 12:19 (NCV): "My friends, do not try to punish others when they wrong you, but wait for God to punish them with His anger. It is written: I will punish those who do wrong; I will repay them, says the Lord."
Holy Dad gives us warnings about not listening to His teachings. 1 Peter 5:8 (NCV): "Control yourselves and be careful! The devil, your enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat." You see, Satan is the real enemy. It is he who is controling the bad person in your life. And don't allow yourself to be the bad person, too. Ephesians 4:27 (NLT): "For anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil." A foothold is a secure position. Think about it. SECURE. Take the security out of it and give Holy Dad control.
If you find yourself struggling with loyalty toward someone who has been hurt and feeling the need to hate the guilty party, I suggest you talk to Holy Dad and ask Him to take your own guilt-ridden feelings out of the picture and to help you pray for all those involved in the event the way He wants you to.
Now, friend, persevere God's way and not persevere the wrong way!
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
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