Happy Friday to all!! It is a good day because God has graciously given it to us. Did you have a good week? What could you do differntly next week for a better outcome?
Keevin and I did not get the camper moved over to our house last weekend because it rained all day on Saturday. So the plan is to move it tomorrow. I will be meeting with some lady friends from church in the morning. We meet once a month to study relationships done God's way. We call these meetings Front Porch Devotions. We each bring a dish of food and enjoy the home of one of our friends. I have been encouraging them to continue their meetings and studies when I am gone as we have grown quite close and loving. They have assured me that they will. Lots of healing has taken place around our circle of discussions. I will dearly miss them. I also want to encourage you to find or start a group of church friends that you can study and share time with.
Another milestone happened today. Keevin turned in his 2 week notice at his workplace. My husband is a very hard worker and diligent and dependable. In his resignation letter he explained that God has plans for us--to move to Boone, NC and to start a new church. His supervisor said that he was going to tell God that he is not happy with His plans, but he understands why Keevin is leaving. That really made my husband feel good about his reputation.
Well I have had a nagging worry that is hard for me to explain. I am having a hard time with the fact that I will be at home in another town, another state than where my children will be at home at. Maybe it is a mother-thing. I don't know, I just know that it is an annoying feeling. So I talked to God about it last night. But first I want to share a journey with you, then I will picked back up on this story.
A few days ago I was looking up some Bible verses on Biblestudytools.com. Philippians 4: 4-7 (NIV) is # 4 of my 20 core memory truths. But look at how The Message says it: "Celebrate God all day, everyday. I mean revel in Him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. 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." Isn't that a good one!! It seemed to say alot to anxieties and what to do when it happens, so I decided to make a 21 day journal note out of it. But I paraphrased it to personalize it for my future neeeds and started my journaling.
21 day Journal note # 6: Turn Worry into Prayer
Holy Dad, I am celebrating You all day, everyday. I delight in You. I find pleasure in You. I am making it as clear as I can to all I meet that I am on their side, working with them and not against them. I am helping them to see that the Master is about to arrive. Jesus, You could show up any minute! I am not fretting or worrying. When I first sense worry in my being I will pray. I will let petitions, and praises, and thanksgivings shape my worries into prayers, letting You, Holy God, know what my concerns are. Before I know it, a sense of Your wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle me down, It's wonderful what happens when You, Christ, displaces worry at the center of my life!
end of journal note.
Now, for the rest of the story. So last night I felt a nagging in my mind about leaving the children. It was at that moment the phrase "when I first sense worry in my being" flashed in my mind. I immediately talked to God about it. He assured me that the children are happy with living here as they both have ties to keep them attached. He also reminded me that He sent His son away to live with us for 33 years and that everything turned out ok. I thanked Him.
I learned from Dr. Caroline Leaf, a Christian neurologist, that it takes 21 days of journaling God's truth to rewire the brain but that a person will feel the effects on day 4. As I opened up my journal book this morning I noticed that today's note was day # 5. I thought to myself "Wow!" and worshipped God for His good provisions to me. Yes, day 4 of my journal note has helped me but I will continue on until day 21 for the full effects. The funny thing is I didn't have any real big needs in my life to start this journal note but thought it sounded really good. God knew that it would be of tremendous help to me for future needs and I am thankful that He showed me His good word.
I assign this journal note to confidence elements: self-control, gentleness and peace.
I assign this jouranl note to confidence busters: unnecessary guilt, worry and anxiety, and abandonment (as I don't want my kids to feel that I am abandoning them).
Friends, I want you to continue journaling and healing. Ask God to help you forgive and be forgiven and grow and serve Him. Don't miss out on His opportunities!!
Sisterly love to all, Wynndy
Friday, August 12, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
An Identity without a Name
Hi there, folks! How's the weather where you are? It has been storming here but we needed the rain--as a lot of places do. We are entering the new school year season. My grandson went for 1/2 a day today and my granddaughter will attend for 1/2 a day for kintergarden on Monday. It will be quieter around here for most of the days but there will be thngs for me to do. Keevin and I are moving our camper over to our house and will start preparing it for the next phase of our God-assignment. Satan is playing around with me and causing me to stress out. I am using this time as a reminder that I trust God and trust Him completely. Every now and then God tests us or Satan tries to trip us up--but either way I have the Holy Spirit inside of me to make the right decisions. Thank You O Great God!!
So, I guess you are wondering how I came up with today's title. An idea came to me as I read a good little book entitled "Heaven is for Real" written by Todd Burpo. Todd Burpo is the father of a then 4 year old son. In the book Todd recounts the many stories that his son, Colton, shared with him and his wife about an experience he had with Jesus while undergoing an emergency appendectomy. I know it sounds crazy but all the things the 4 year old said was true according to scripture and this 4 year old had never heard all of the amazing things that he told about. It truly seems this little one experienced heaven and Jesus. His mom was really entrigued about Colton's "other sister". His mom and dad had never shared with him about the miscarriage his mom had prior to his own birth. And mom and dad didn't know that the baby was a girl. So his mom asked what her name was and he replied "she doesn't have a name." He also revealed that his other sister has been adopted by Jesus' Father.
So getting back to my idea about our identity. We often feel our identity is based on our name, financial status, maritial status, family lineage, sexual preferrence, educational level, career choice and even body shape. But guess what? None of those things make up our identity, they are only paths. But our identity leads us down those paths.
So what is our identity? Let's start by talking about God's creation. He has given us incredible bodies and minds and different makeups. Our individuality and uniqueness is a very big deal. It is a well-known fact that no two fingerprints are alike. We may have a "twin" out there but we have lots of differences. Our minds are different. Our life experiences are different.
Each person has 5 distinct strengths. These strengths are areas that we are drawn to and have natural abilities toward. We also have secondary strengths that are not as strong as the first 5. There are many areas of strengths and combinations. These represent so many different identities. Let me share of few of my strengths with you. For instance, I have a strong belief system and have natural abilities toward communication and absolutely love restoration.
We are all born with creativeness, however our distorted thinking systems block our minds, hence our creativeness is stifled. My creativeness is released in the form of writing and teaching, thanks to communication. Restoration explains why I have a passion for helping me and others to reach healness, forgiveness and grow into the best us for God. And my number one strength is belief. Others may have a very strong sense of belief in other things but mine is God. My whole life is done because of God, influenced by God, for God and to illuminate God to others.
There are ways to figue out who you are. The real you!! Think back to your childhood. What were your favorite and easiest subjects in school? This could be a clue to the real you. What projects or jobs were not really a challelnge but you just seem to know how to do it the first time? We can recognize areas of interest if we find ourselves asking "when can I do this again?" versus "Do I have to do this again?"
Some of your strengths may not be discovered until later in life as you may not have been introduced to it yet. It's all about God's timing. I didn't know about my gift of writing until I found myself without transportation which led to my unemployment. God used that time to help me develop my strength of communication. My writings center around my passion for healing, forgiveness and growth. But my belief steers it all toward God.
Our life experiences and circumstances also shape who we are. Our passions are often born from a tragedy or an exciting event. So you may want to ask yourself "what makes me cry or what makes my heart beat fast with excitement?"
And finally, the infusion fo the Holy Spirit. Those of us who are committed Christ followers are more than ourselves. Look at John 14:26 (MSG): "I'm telling you these things while I'm still living with you. the Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I'm leaving you well and whole. That's my parting gift to you." That verse is a great one to add to your core memory truths. And see what else the Holy Spirit does in Romans 8:15 (NIV): "For you did not recieve a spirit that makes you a slave agian to fear, but you recieved the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" Abba means Daddy. God is our Daddy--a trusted Daddy who takes care of us--after all He gave us the Holy Spirit to give us lots of super cool things in order to live this wonderful life. Look up other verses to see what the Holy Spirit does for you.
The 21day journal note has to do with slavery to a fear. As you work on this journal note allow the Holy Spirit to remove this fear and free you to be a better you for God.
# 5-- 21 Day Journal Note: Worried about what others think of YOU?
Galatians 1:10 (NCV): Do you think I am trying to make people accept me? No, God is the One I am trying to please. Am I trying to please people? If I still wanted to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Yes--I am free from making other people happy. Free from worrying about their opinions. I am constantly aligning myself with Your plans and directions, Father. Jesus, I am your servant and my life is better for it. Thank you Heavenly Daddy!!
end of journal note.
Friend, discover the real you!!
Sisterly love to all, Wynndy
So, I guess you are wondering how I came up with today's title. An idea came to me as I read a good little book entitled "Heaven is for Real" written by Todd Burpo. Todd Burpo is the father of a then 4 year old son. In the book Todd recounts the many stories that his son, Colton, shared with him and his wife about an experience he had with Jesus while undergoing an emergency appendectomy. I know it sounds crazy but all the things the 4 year old said was true according to scripture and this 4 year old had never heard all of the amazing things that he told about. It truly seems this little one experienced heaven and Jesus. His mom was really entrigued about Colton's "other sister". His mom and dad had never shared with him about the miscarriage his mom had prior to his own birth. And mom and dad didn't know that the baby was a girl. So his mom asked what her name was and he replied "she doesn't have a name." He also revealed that his other sister has been adopted by Jesus' Father.
So getting back to my idea about our identity. We often feel our identity is based on our name, financial status, maritial status, family lineage, sexual preferrence, educational level, career choice and even body shape. But guess what? None of those things make up our identity, they are only paths. But our identity leads us down those paths.
So what is our identity? Let's start by talking about God's creation. He has given us incredible bodies and minds and different makeups. Our individuality and uniqueness is a very big deal. It is a well-known fact that no two fingerprints are alike. We may have a "twin" out there but we have lots of differences. Our minds are different. Our life experiences are different.
Each person has 5 distinct strengths. These strengths are areas that we are drawn to and have natural abilities toward. We also have secondary strengths that are not as strong as the first 5. There are many areas of strengths and combinations. These represent so many different identities. Let me share of few of my strengths with you. For instance, I have a strong belief system and have natural abilities toward communication and absolutely love restoration.
We are all born with creativeness, however our distorted thinking systems block our minds, hence our creativeness is stifled. My creativeness is released in the form of writing and teaching, thanks to communication. Restoration explains why I have a passion for helping me and others to reach healness, forgiveness and grow into the best us for God. And my number one strength is belief. Others may have a very strong sense of belief in other things but mine is God. My whole life is done because of God, influenced by God, for God and to illuminate God to others.
There are ways to figue out who you are. The real you!! Think back to your childhood. What were your favorite and easiest subjects in school? This could be a clue to the real you. What projects or jobs were not really a challelnge but you just seem to know how to do it the first time? We can recognize areas of interest if we find ourselves asking "when can I do this again?" versus "Do I have to do this again?"
Some of your strengths may not be discovered until later in life as you may not have been introduced to it yet. It's all about God's timing. I didn't know about my gift of writing until I found myself without transportation which led to my unemployment. God used that time to help me develop my strength of communication. My writings center around my passion for healing, forgiveness and growth. But my belief steers it all toward God.
Our life experiences and circumstances also shape who we are. Our passions are often born from a tragedy or an exciting event. So you may want to ask yourself "what makes me cry or what makes my heart beat fast with excitement?"
And finally, the infusion fo the Holy Spirit. Those of us who are committed Christ followers are more than ourselves. Look at John 14:26 (MSG): "I'm telling you these things while I'm still living with you. the Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I'm leaving you well and whole. That's my parting gift to you." That verse is a great one to add to your core memory truths. And see what else the Holy Spirit does in Romans 8:15 (NIV): "For you did not recieve a spirit that makes you a slave agian to fear, but you recieved the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" Abba means Daddy. God is our Daddy--a trusted Daddy who takes care of us--after all He gave us the Holy Spirit to give us lots of super cool things in order to live this wonderful life. Look up other verses to see what the Holy Spirit does for you.
The 21day journal note has to do with slavery to a fear. As you work on this journal note allow the Holy Spirit to remove this fear and free you to be a better you for God.
# 5-- 21 Day Journal Note: Worried about what others think of YOU?
Galatians 1:10 (NCV): Do you think I am trying to make people accept me? No, God is the One I am trying to please. Am I trying to please people? If I still wanted to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Yes--I am free from making other people happy. Free from worrying about their opinions. I am constantly aligning myself with Your plans and directions, Father. Jesus, I am your servant and my life is better for it. Thank you Heavenly Daddy!!
end of journal note.
Friend, discover the real you!!
Sisterly love to all, Wynndy
Friday, July 29, 2011
A Following
Happy Friday to my readers!! It is finally here. Have you made your weekend plans yet? If you haven't, don't feel bad. I'm not sure what Keevin and I will be doing but the grocery store is always on the agenda. I'm cooking a London Broil for supper tonight. I have had that piece of beef in the freezer for a couple of months wondering how to cook it. Yesterday I looked up recipes on the internet and decided that Friday is the day to do it. It is in the refrig at this very moment soaking in a marinate. I am also going to roast squash and zuchini for the first time. I get all of my inspiration from the cooking channels.
I also get inspiration from the animal channels. I have been watching The Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic channel and have learned how to walk Rocky, my dog, instead of him walking me. Ceasar Millan advises to keep the leash pulled taut so that the dog walks by your side instead of ahead of you. He also says that dogs sense when humans are anxious. For this reason he says to keep your head up and look straight ahead. The dog learns that you are in control. If you look down at the dog he gets the sense that he is in control. Did you know that? That teaches the dog to do the bad things you don't want him to do. Allowing a dog to bark continuously and jumping up on people, etc, allows the dog to stay in a distressed state. Aggression means the dog is afraid but it looks like he is being authoritative. He acts this way for protection. Allowing him to do these things keeps him in the bad habits. Changing the way you act toward him changes him. Oh?
So I pondered on this idea for a while. I tried out the walking advise on Rocky yesterday and it works. He conformed to my standards. Could this work toward human behavior? How many people do we actually allow to treat us badly? How many people do we treat badly? Are these bad behaviors due to fear and insecurity? Anger, anxiety attacks, whinning, temper tandrums, etc--I think that we allow them to happen to us. What to do?
I asked God how I should relay this idea to you and He led me to this verse: Isaiah 58:11 (GWT) "The Lord will continually guide you and satisfy you even in sun-baked places. He will strengthen your bones. You will become like a watered garden and like a spring whose water does not stop flowing."
I have authored a Life Directive (Bible study) about relationships. My idea was to teach ladies how to navigate through relationships by changing themselves and not to change others to mold their wishes. God directed everything beautifully and it turned out well. The group I have been teaching it to has become a very loving, close-knit group of ladies. I can honestly say that we have each others back. We have encouraged each other and shared some wonderful moments and some painful moments together.
You may be asking how you can do relationships God's way. It is by following His lead. He is the leader of me. I follow Him, like the dog. Do I feel less in control than before? Do you remember me telling you that the dog acts aggressively out of fear? Well, letting God take the lead in my life takes out the fear and also lots of pressure. It is a freeing act instead of a backwards act.
As we relate to other people His ways are the ones guiding the relationships. Instead of being an enabler (allowing the other person to suck you into their misery) and encouraging misery you become less absorb by the person and more intuned with God. If you are the whinner and no one wants to put up with you, changing your focus to God allows the real, satisfied you to shine and others will gravitate to you (and God). It is a fact that anger works. Well, it doesn't have to. Ignoring anger (as much as possible), staying calm and speaking calmly diffuses the anger because the anger has lost it's fuel. In a sense--keep your head up and shoulders back in a confident position so that the other person cannot sense insecurity about you. And how do you deal with anixious people who get in your face and get you all upset? Notice their patterns. Do the things they are anxious about ever come to fruition? Learn how to watch patterns and to not react because you know the probable outcome--which is probably nothing.
Hopefully this will help you in your marriage or the relationship with your dream mate. Keep your eyes and focus on Jesus and enjoy better relationships. Now, I know that some of the above suggestions are hard without healing of relational injuries, so I suggest that you continue with the 21 day Journal notes. The above suggestions will become automatic responses to the situations.
Journal note # 4
Nix the Nag. Mix with the Hubby!
Proverbs 21:23 (MSG) Watch your words and hold your tongue; you'll save yourself a lot of grief. Psalm 37: 3-4 (NIV) Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delignt yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Yes, I am concerned about my husband's (problem). However, I will no longer bully him about it. I am freeing myself of this duty and am turning it over to You, Lord. I trust You to talk to him about (his problem). I will do good by focusing on his good traits and loving him Being free from policing him will allow me to enjoy our relationship better. Lord, I try hard to please You and I thank You for honoring my request to help me and my husband.
end of journal note.
My friend, I encourage you to become a good follower of Jesus and learn to really enjoy the other relationships in your life.
Sisterly love to all, Wynndy
I also get inspiration from the animal channels. I have been watching The Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic channel and have learned how to walk Rocky, my dog, instead of him walking me. Ceasar Millan advises to keep the leash pulled taut so that the dog walks by your side instead of ahead of you. He also says that dogs sense when humans are anxious. For this reason he says to keep your head up and look straight ahead. The dog learns that you are in control. If you look down at the dog he gets the sense that he is in control. Did you know that? That teaches the dog to do the bad things you don't want him to do. Allowing a dog to bark continuously and jumping up on people, etc, allows the dog to stay in a distressed state. Aggression means the dog is afraid but it looks like he is being authoritative. He acts this way for protection. Allowing him to do these things keeps him in the bad habits. Changing the way you act toward him changes him. Oh?
So I pondered on this idea for a while. I tried out the walking advise on Rocky yesterday and it works. He conformed to my standards. Could this work toward human behavior? How many people do we actually allow to treat us badly? How many people do we treat badly? Are these bad behaviors due to fear and insecurity? Anger, anxiety attacks, whinning, temper tandrums, etc--I think that we allow them to happen to us. What to do?
I asked God how I should relay this idea to you and He led me to this verse: Isaiah 58:11 (GWT) "The Lord will continually guide you and satisfy you even in sun-baked places. He will strengthen your bones. You will become like a watered garden and like a spring whose water does not stop flowing."
I have authored a Life Directive (Bible study) about relationships. My idea was to teach ladies how to navigate through relationships by changing themselves and not to change others to mold their wishes. God directed everything beautifully and it turned out well. The group I have been teaching it to has become a very loving, close-knit group of ladies. I can honestly say that we have each others back. We have encouraged each other and shared some wonderful moments and some painful moments together.
You may be asking how you can do relationships God's way. It is by following His lead. He is the leader of me. I follow Him, like the dog. Do I feel less in control than before? Do you remember me telling you that the dog acts aggressively out of fear? Well, letting God take the lead in my life takes out the fear and also lots of pressure. It is a freeing act instead of a backwards act.
As we relate to other people His ways are the ones guiding the relationships. Instead of being an enabler (allowing the other person to suck you into their misery) and encouraging misery you become less absorb by the person and more intuned with God. If you are the whinner and no one wants to put up with you, changing your focus to God allows the real, satisfied you to shine and others will gravitate to you (and God). It is a fact that anger works. Well, it doesn't have to. Ignoring anger (as much as possible), staying calm and speaking calmly diffuses the anger because the anger has lost it's fuel. In a sense--keep your head up and shoulders back in a confident position so that the other person cannot sense insecurity about you. And how do you deal with anixious people who get in your face and get you all upset? Notice their patterns. Do the things they are anxious about ever come to fruition? Learn how to watch patterns and to not react because you know the probable outcome--which is probably nothing.
Hopefully this will help you in your marriage or the relationship with your dream mate. Keep your eyes and focus on Jesus and enjoy better relationships. Now, I know that some of the above suggestions are hard without healing of relational injuries, so I suggest that you continue with the 21 day Journal notes. The above suggestions will become automatic responses to the situations.
Journal note # 4
Nix the Nag. Mix with the Hubby!
Proverbs 21:23 (MSG) Watch your words and hold your tongue; you'll save yourself a lot of grief. Psalm 37: 3-4 (NIV) Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delignt yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Yes, I am concerned about my husband's (problem). However, I will no longer bully him about it. I am freeing myself of this duty and am turning it over to You, Lord. I trust You to talk to him about (his problem). I will do good by focusing on his good traits and loving him Being free from policing him will allow me to enjoy our relationship better. Lord, I try hard to please You and I thank You for honoring my request to help me and my husband.
end of journal note.
My friend, I encourage you to become a good follower of Jesus and learn to really enjoy the other relationships in your life.
Sisterly love to all, Wynndy
Friday, July 22, 2011
Best Friends Forever!!!
Hello to all my readers! We finally had a nice summer rain yesterday. It cooled things off for a while and my tomato plants drank up the water that God provided. I now have 9 tomatos and hope they ripen before Keevin and I move to Boone. I have been watering them faithfully and watching the plants and fruit grow. I just hope to get the chance to taste my efforts. My efforts. Is it right for me to claim the efforts here? The fact is God created the tomato plant and fruit and caused the rain and supplied the sun. What did I do? I bought the plants at walmart and dug holes (Keevin did this). I watered them as needed and watched them grow. My, how we take all the credit but really it is God who deserves the applause for His creation. Father, I truly am so very thankful to you for the food you provide for us. I also appologize for taking the majority of the credit and not shinning a spotlight on You.
Self-centeredness comes easily to us. It is a hard thing to see but it happens--all the time. Just when we think we are doing good God sends a message to us that goes something like this: "Hey!! I'm still here and I can hear you. You've got it all wrong. Now, please listen to Me and I will help you on this life-path. I truly love you and want the best for you. So my child, look for Me, embrace Me. Now, my love, be at ease."
That brings me to some scripture I have been wondering about. This month's reading is Romans 6-10. Chapter 9 has had me puzzled so I looked it up on Biblestudytools.com and viewed it in The Message traslation. I thank the Lord for modern translations because it greatly helps me to understand His word and what He is saying to me.
Look at Romans 9:33 (MSG): "Isaiah (again!) gives us the metaphor for pulling this together. Careful! I've put a huge stone on the road to Mount Zion, a stone you can't get around. But the stone is Me! If you're looking for Me, you'll find Me on the way, not in the way." Paul is saying that God's message to those of us who do God-projects, yet take all the credit, and don't even converse with God about the project, are on the wrong path and He wants to make us trip on a rock. Paul calls it a huge stone. Have you ever had your way blocked by something big? Well, it is God. Whatever you are facing right now consider that it is God trying to get your attention.
Now look at Romans 9:30 (MSG): "All those people who didn't seem interested in what God was doing actually embraced what God was doing as He straightened out their lives." Listen to God, my friend. He wants to help you. Allow Him to straighten out that mess of yours. Listen to His Word. Read His Word. Look for Him around you. He's everywhere. As you learn more about Him you'll recognize Him. He does love you!!
Journal note # 3 Best Friend Forever!
John 14:26 (MSG) The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at My request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I'm leaving you well and whole. That's my parting gift to you.
My dear Friend, the Holy Spirit--You live inside of me. You make evrything plain and clear to me. You are making me well and whole. You are a beautiful gift from Jesus. Thank you for enriching my life.
End of Journal note. Just remember to handwrite it once a day for 21 days to rewire your distorted thinking system.
The Holy Spirit, or Holy Wonder as I like to call Him, is a huge source of wholeness and wellness. How can that be? Well, He is making everything plain to us. It is right under our noses--in the Bible. Remember Romans 9:33? God said "if you're looking for Me." Are you looking for Him? If means it is your choice. He also said "you'll find Me on the way, not in the way." Is He in the way? I feel like we treat Him that way, alot. In the way. Consider getting on His way and allow Him to make everything plain. It truly is refreshing when we have an "aha" moment. We marvel at how the "aha" is the key. My friend, He is the key. He is the real "aha". There are so many "aha's" in the Bible. Take the time during the part of the day when you are most alert and attentive. Find a quiet place so that it is just you and God. Open the Bible, let it fall open, and start reading. You'll find that your Bible reading will become more structured over time. Your passion for Jesus will grow. You will feel His love jump all over you. Ease will be a natural feeling for you. Walk His path and feel a new normal, the new, confident you!!
Sisterly love to all, Wynndy
Self-centeredness comes easily to us. It is a hard thing to see but it happens--all the time. Just when we think we are doing good God sends a message to us that goes something like this: "Hey!! I'm still here and I can hear you. You've got it all wrong. Now, please listen to Me and I will help you on this life-path. I truly love you and want the best for you. So my child, look for Me, embrace Me. Now, my love, be at ease."
That brings me to some scripture I have been wondering about. This month's reading is Romans 6-10. Chapter 9 has had me puzzled so I looked it up on Biblestudytools.com and viewed it in The Message traslation. I thank the Lord for modern translations because it greatly helps me to understand His word and what He is saying to me.
Look at Romans 9:33 (MSG): "Isaiah (again!) gives us the metaphor for pulling this together. Careful! I've put a huge stone on the road to Mount Zion, a stone you can't get around. But the stone is Me! If you're looking for Me, you'll find Me on the way, not in the way." Paul is saying that God's message to those of us who do God-projects, yet take all the credit, and don't even converse with God about the project, are on the wrong path and He wants to make us trip on a rock. Paul calls it a huge stone. Have you ever had your way blocked by something big? Well, it is God. Whatever you are facing right now consider that it is God trying to get your attention.
Now look at Romans 9:30 (MSG): "All those people who didn't seem interested in what God was doing actually embraced what God was doing as He straightened out their lives." Listen to God, my friend. He wants to help you. Allow Him to straighten out that mess of yours. Listen to His Word. Read His Word. Look for Him around you. He's everywhere. As you learn more about Him you'll recognize Him. He does love you!!
Journal note # 3 Best Friend Forever!
John 14:26 (MSG) The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at My request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I'm leaving you well and whole. That's my parting gift to you.
My dear Friend, the Holy Spirit--You live inside of me. You make evrything plain and clear to me. You are making me well and whole. You are a beautiful gift from Jesus. Thank you for enriching my life.
End of Journal note. Just remember to handwrite it once a day for 21 days to rewire your distorted thinking system.
The Holy Spirit, or Holy Wonder as I like to call Him, is a huge source of wholeness and wellness. How can that be? Well, He is making everything plain to us. It is right under our noses--in the Bible. Remember Romans 9:33? God said "if you're looking for Me." Are you looking for Him? If means it is your choice. He also said "you'll find Me on the way, not in the way." Is He in the way? I feel like we treat Him that way, alot. In the way. Consider getting on His way and allow Him to make everything plain. It truly is refreshing when we have an "aha" moment. We marvel at how the "aha" is the key. My friend, He is the key. He is the real "aha". There are so many "aha's" in the Bible. Take the time during the part of the day when you are most alert and attentive. Find a quiet place so that it is just you and God. Open the Bible, let it fall open, and start reading. You'll find that your Bible reading will become more structured over time. Your passion for Jesus will grow. You will feel His love jump all over you. Ease will be a natural feeling for you. Walk His path and feel a new normal, the new, confident you!!
Sisterly love to all, Wynndy
Friday, July 15, 2011
Authority
Happy Friday to all!! We just love Fridays if we find ourselves off on Saturday and Sunday. It feels like free time, my time. The weekend is time for us to make our own decisions. So what plans do you have for the "your time"?
Sometimes our workweek can be a struggle because we are tired of being told what to do (unless you are the boss). As teenagers, we certainly didn't like the advise (rules) our parents gave us. And then there is the preacher and Sunday School teacher. They don't know my life and what I need. Anger. Frustration. Rebellion. Why am I so miserable around these people? And you know what? We sometimes have the same feelings toward God. Yes, admit it, we do!
Why, why, why. I am ashamed to admit that I rebell against God! But there it is-the truth, my truth. Well, friend, that used to be my truth but since I have been healed by God's word, this is no longer true.
Stll, there is the question of why. Some folks develop resentment because of controlling childhood authorities. Others may have felt invisible and totally unimportant to their parents. Physical, mental and emotional, and sexual abuse lead to bitterness. Unhealthy put-downs by your mom and dad may have caused distrust to authorities. Physical and emotional abandonment causes a disconnect all together with superior figures. If your parents were alcoholic, drug abusers, criminals, absent, divorced, depressed, angry, anxious/worriers, rejectors, etc then your home was no haven. You probably stayed away as much as possible. There are other possible situations that can cause "the why" of our rebellion. Do you claim any of these or is your reason different.
Ok, so we've gotten the big, bad truth out of the way. Whatever your truth is--please deal with it--ask God to help you forgive your authority. Get away from any danger. Ask Holy Dad to help you know why your authority treated you the way he/she did. Chances are you would be willing to forgive and console that person if you knew their past circumstances--but you may never know because they may not want to face their own pain. Sometimes our authorities want to keep uglyiness a secret and for that reaon you may never know the real truth. Just accept the fact that there was a reason for what they did, but it is not excused. Doing wrong is never excused. Consequences are inevitable but it maynot be by you.
Now what? After you are able to face your own ugliness, digest it and deal with it--try to put it up on a shelf as soon as you can and be done with it. I realize if you are just acknowledging some facts you may need time to grieve over it and that is ok but don't get stuck on it. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you with this. He will--just ask Him.
The next thing to realize is that all of that mess you were in is still deep down in your subconcious. Let's help ourselves to get it out and put in God's goodness. Here is journal note #2:
#2 Authorities: Heavenly & Earthly
Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NCV) I will teach you to respect Me completely and I will put a new way of thinking inside of you. I will take out the stubborn hearts of stone from your bodies, and I will give you obedient hearts of flesh. I will put My Spirit inside of you and help you to live by My rules and carefully obey My laws. Ephesians 4:26 (NLT) Don't sin by letting anger control you. Romans 8:28 (MSG) That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
Father, relationships with You and earthly authorities often are not close, intimate and comfortable. However, I am to obey them unless they are not within Biblical guidelines. I will do the right thing by showing respect to them and following their rules I will not allow myself to burst into anger from rebellion. Instead I will listen calmly to the words of my authority. I know that everything is going to be ok. I will forgive my authorities of their offenses and will remember that You, My Lord, have forgiven me of all my offenses. Thank You for healing this area of my life!
End of journal note.
Friend, work this journal note for your healing. Hand write it once a day x 21 days and be free from authority rebellion. You will feel more respect for yourself, as well.
Enjoy the healing.
Sisterly love to all, Wynndy
Sometimes our workweek can be a struggle because we are tired of being told what to do (unless you are the boss). As teenagers, we certainly didn't like the advise (rules) our parents gave us. And then there is the preacher and Sunday School teacher. They don't know my life and what I need. Anger. Frustration. Rebellion. Why am I so miserable around these people? And you know what? We sometimes have the same feelings toward God. Yes, admit it, we do!
Why, why, why. I am ashamed to admit that I rebell against God! But there it is-the truth, my truth. Well, friend, that used to be my truth but since I have been healed by God's word, this is no longer true.
Stll, there is the question of why. Some folks develop resentment because of controlling childhood authorities. Others may have felt invisible and totally unimportant to their parents. Physical, mental and emotional, and sexual abuse lead to bitterness. Unhealthy put-downs by your mom and dad may have caused distrust to authorities. Physical and emotional abandonment causes a disconnect all together with superior figures. If your parents were alcoholic, drug abusers, criminals, absent, divorced, depressed, angry, anxious/worriers, rejectors, etc then your home was no haven. You probably stayed away as much as possible. There are other possible situations that can cause "the why" of our rebellion. Do you claim any of these or is your reason different.
Ok, so we've gotten the big, bad truth out of the way. Whatever your truth is--please deal with it--ask God to help you forgive your authority. Get away from any danger. Ask Holy Dad to help you know why your authority treated you the way he/she did. Chances are you would be willing to forgive and console that person if you knew their past circumstances--but you may never know because they may not want to face their own pain. Sometimes our authorities want to keep uglyiness a secret and for that reaon you may never know the real truth. Just accept the fact that there was a reason for what they did, but it is not excused. Doing wrong is never excused. Consequences are inevitable but it maynot be by you.
Now what? After you are able to face your own ugliness, digest it and deal with it--try to put it up on a shelf as soon as you can and be done with it. I realize if you are just acknowledging some facts you may need time to grieve over it and that is ok but don't get stuck on it. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you with this. He will--just ask Him.
The next thing to realize is that all of that mess you were in is still deep down in your subconcious. Let's help ourselves to get it out and put in God's goodness. Here is journal note #2:
#2 Authorities: Heavenly & Earthly
Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NCV) I will teach you to respect Me completely and I will put a new way of thinking inside of you. I will take out the stubborn hearts of stone from your bodies, and I will give you obedient hearts of flesh. I will put My Spirit inside of you and help you to live by My rules and carefully obey My laws. Ephesians 4:26 (NLT) Don't sin by letting anger control you. Romans 8:28 (MSG) That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
Father, relationships with You and earthly authorities often are not close, intimate and comfortable. However, I am to obey them unless they are not within Biblical guidelines. I will do the right thing by showing respect to them and following their rules I will not allow myself to burst into anger from rebellion. Instead I will listen calmly to the words of my authority. I know that everything is going to be ok. I will forgive my authorities of their offenses and will remember that You, My Lord, have forgiven me of all my offenses. Thank You for healing this area of my life!
End of journal note.
Friend, work this journal note for your healing. Hand write it once a day x 21 days and be free from authority rebellion. You will feel more respect for yourself, as well.
Enjoy the healing.
Sisterly love to all, Wynndy
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Heart Words
Hey there, my blogger friends!! I hope you enjoyed a long, patriotic weekend ending with glorious, explosive fireworks. Aren't fireworks fun? Whether you are the operator of the display or one totally enjoying it--it is an event full of thrill.
Those types of times seem to be the ones we live for. We like one thrill after the other. We like a thrill that is bigger than the last one. Do you agree? Although there is nothing wrong with enjoying a thrill--having an unsatiable appetite for something big and explosive can cause you to be a miserable person. Are you that miserable person? Are you never satisfied? Are you trying to prove to someone that you have worth?
And then there is the person who stays put inside and doesn't venture out to enjoy our patriotic displays. This person doesn't have feelings toward anything. A stale life--but yet his life feels safe to him. Safe but very dull. No energy. No purpose. No worth. Could this be you?
My personal ministry passion is to help people find healing, to forgive and be forgiven and to grow. But in order to do this one must recognize where they are. Do you like the big, explosive thrills or do you stay inside where it seems safe? The best place to be is in the middle. This is called living a balanced, normal life. If you are not living in the middle--would you decide at this very moment to discover your new, balanced life? You may choose to live in your explosive world. You may choose to live in your lonely, isolated world. Or you may be ready for the middle ground and have been for a long time but didn't know how to get there from here. Follow me, my friend!
Lately, when I have been in the firing range of an angered individual (and other undesired emotions) I have been able (not even trying) to remain cool and level headed allowing me to respond confidently and calmly, actually stepping back emotionally. Now, this is a fairly new experience for me. Talking about the thrill of victory!! In the not so distant past I would have received the anger in a personal way, become frozen and be unable to think and say the things that needed to be said. I would not have been able to realize that the angered person is the one with the problem. I thought I had provoked it. Now here's another thrill--since this new way of reacting has happened I have been reading what Christian psychology authors suggest--and guess what? It is to react the way I automatically did--without even knowing their advise. But I have to say that reacting the way I did recently toward anger was not possible prior to me being healed by God's word. Are you with me? Do you want to know more? This can be your new life, too! It is real and possible and not very hard to accomplish.
So, on with the story. I had a conversation with God telling Him of my wishes to not be so ultra-sensitive to others emotions. At that time I seemed to stay in a tiz. My anxieties were always kicking in and keeping me revved up. That type of treatment wears a physical body down. I knew God's word said not to have anxieties but for the life of me I could not get His word to stick. Well, God answered my request. There was a week that each day of that week I heard about journaling from different media sources--TV, radio, magazine, etc. I heard it but it didn't sink in that it was God was telling me this until the end of that very week. I found my Sunday School teacher encouraging us ladies to journal to God. "Ok", I said to God. "I hear You and will start it tomorrow." So, I did. I bought a couple of 5-subject composition notebooks and began writing to Him. I found myself writing about my quandries to Him. As I did this scripture would pop into my mind. They were mostly verses from the 20 core memory truths I have instilled in me. I would match them up with my particular problem and write about them. At about the same time I was reading a wonderful book authored by Dr. Caroline Leaf. She is a Christian neurologist who explains how thought processes work and how the brain works. I got my idea of 21 day journaling from her teaching because she explained that it takes 21 days of hand writing God's word to rewire our faulty thinking in our brain. One by one, I tackled and journaled lots of bad areas in my life. I must say that I am well pleased with the results.
Look at what God's word says about journaling: Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (NLT): "And you must commit yourselves whole heartedly to these commands I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again. Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." See, Holy Dad wants us to journal His words to Him. And getting them seeped into our pyche helps us to automatically react the correct way--His way!! It really works.
So blogger friend, my plan is to share one journal note at a time that has helped me. Hopefully you will get the hang of it and write your own for personal spiritual investment. Just remember that these are to be handwritten once a day x 21 days. You'll feel a difference after the 4th day but be sure to continue to the 21st day to acheive full effect. This treatment does not take much time or effort and it reaps big healing rewards.
#1 Relationships
Mark 12:30-31 (MSG) Jesus said, love the Lord God with all of your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy. Love others as well as you love yourself. There is no other commandment that ranks with these.
I willingly choose to love You, O God, with my whole being. My desire for You is great. I talk freely and comfortably with You about everything. I will constantly learn more aout You and the things You want me to do. I am actively obeying Your word as it leads me to the life You created me to have. I am thriving in the love You have for me. I will no longer feel guilty for loving myself. It is so refreshing to know that You created me to love. By allowing myself to feel love for me--my heart is healed. My healed heart is able to love others. Thank You so much!!
End of journal note.
Invest in these heart words my friend!!
Sisterly love to all, Wynndy
Those types of times seem to be the ones we live for. We like one thrill after the other. We like a thrill that is bigger than the last one. Do you agree? Although there is nothing wrong with enjoying a thrill--having an unsatiable appetite for something big and explosive can cause you to be a miserable person. Are you that miserable person? Are you never satisfied? Are you trying to prove to someone that you have worth?
And then there is the person who stays put inside and doesn't venture out to enjoy our patriotic displays. This person doesn't have feelings toward anything. A stale life--but yet his life feels safe to him. Safe but very dull. No energy. No purpose. No worth. Could this be you?
My personal ministry passion is to help people find healing, to forgive and be forgiven and to grow. But in order to do this one must recognize where they are. Do you like the big, explosive thrills or do you stay inside where it seems safe? The best place to be is in the middle. This is called living a balanced, normal life. If you are not living in the middle--would you decide at this very moment to discover your new, balanced life? You may choose to live in your explosive world. You may choose to live in your lonely, isolated world. Or you may be ready for the middle ground and have been for a long time but didn't know how to get there from here. Follow me, my friend!
Lately, when I have been in the firing range of an angered individual (and other undesired emotions) I have been able (not even trying) to remain cool and level headed allowing me to respond confidently and calmly, actually stepping back emotionally. Now, this is a fairly new experience for me. Talking about the thrill of victory!! In the not so distant past I would have received the anger in a personal way, become frozen and be unable to think and say the things that needed to be said. I would not have been able to realize that the angered person is the one with the problem. I thought I had provoked it. Now here's another thrill--since this new way of reacting has happened I have been reading what Christian psychology authors suggest--and guess what? It is to react the way I automatically did--without even knowing their advise. But I have to say that reacting the way I did recently toward anger was not possible prior to me being healed by God's word. Are you with me? Do you want to know more? This can be your new life, too! It is real and possible and not very hard to accomplish.
So, on with the story. I had a conversation with God telling Him of my wishes to not be so ultra-sensitive to others emotions. At that time I seemed to stay in a tiz. My anxieties were always kicking in and keeping me revved up. That type of treatment wears a physical body down. I knew God's word said not to have anxieties but for the life of me I could not get His word to stick. Well, God answered my request. There was a week that each day of that week I heard about journaling from different media sources--TV, radio, magazine, etc. I heard it but it didn't sink in that it was God was telling me this until the end of that very week. I found my Sunday School teacher encouraging us ladies to journal to God. "Ok", I said to God. "I hear You and will start it tomorrow." So, I did. I bought a couple of 5-subject composition notebooks and began writing to Him. I found myself writing about my quandries to Him. As I did this scripture would pop into my mind. They were mostly verses from the 20 core memory truths I have instilled in me. I would match them up with my particular problem and write about them. At about the same time I was reading a wonderful book authored by Dr. Caroline Leaf. She is a Christian neurologist who explains how thought processes work and how the brain works. I got my idea of 21 day journaling from her teaching because she explained that it takes 21 days of hand writing God's word to rewire our faulty thinking in our brain. One by one, I tackled and journaled lots of bad areas in my life. I must say that I am well pleased with the results.
Look at what God's word says about journaling: Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (NLT): "And you must commit yourselves whole heartedly to these commands I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again. Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." See, Holy Dad wants us to journal His words to Him. And getting them seeped into our pyche helps us to automatically react the correct way--His way!! It really works.
So blogger friend, my plan is to share one journal note at a time that has helped me. Hopefully you will get the hang of it and write your own for personal spiritual investment. Just remember that these are to be handwritten once a day x 21 days. You'll feel a difference after the 4th day but be sure to continue to the 21st day to acheive full effect. This treatment does not take much time or effort and it reaps big healing rewards.
#1 Relationships
Mark 12:30-31 (MSG) Jesus said, love the Lord God with all of your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy. Love others as well as you love yourself. There is no other commandment that ranks with these.
I willingly choose to love You, O God, with my whole being. My desire for You is great. I talk freely and comfortably with You about everything. I will constantly learn more aout You and the things You want me to do. I am actively obeying Your word as it leads me to the life You created me to have. I am thriving in the love You have for me. I will no longer feel guilty for loving myself. It is so refreshing to know that You created me to love. By allowing myself to feel love for me--my heart is healed. My healed heart is able to love others. Thank You so much!!
End of journal note.
Invest in these heart words my friend!!
Sisterly love to all, Wynndy
Friday, June 24, 2011
Bragging Because You have JOY!
Hi there, again, my friend. Today's blog will probably be a short one because I am in the middle of transitioning from this house to Maria's house. Everything is boxed up with the exception of last minute things and today is the day to wrap up last minute things. Keevin and I will be moving to Boone, NC the last of August to start a new church plant. Keep us in your prayers. We intend to start a cleaning business that will hopefully flourish and give us finances. We are going on faith because God is sending us to that area and He will take care of things.
I have been reading the first 5 chapters of Romans for this month's reading. I read a small (or parts of) book of the Bible each morning for 30 days. I came across Romans 5: 1-5 that speaks about faith, peace, joy, confidence, hope and other wonderful things that God does for us. You will see later why I titled today's blog with BRAG.
Let's look at the NLT version of todays scripture: "Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Chrsit our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privelege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us--they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love." God created us. We sinned. Jesus was sent to us by God to take the punishment for our sins. Jesus died and suffered for us. Jesus experienced everything we experience. He knows what we know. Believeing that Jesus is who He says He is and trusting that He did what He said He did--is called faith. Our faith also carries us forward knowing that God has more to show us and more for us to do for Him. With all of that said--this brings us to a privileged state. That means we are standing up straight and tall and confidently. Not because of anything we have done but because Jesus Christ made it possible! Our attitude becomes Joyful! Not sad. Not depressed. Not sulking and bitter. But JOYFUL!! Now come the problems and hardships. What to do? We deal with them. Dealing, first of all, takes the fear out of the situation. Dealing creates a stick-with-it attitude. That attitude brings out your individual features. He makes the real you shine. Do you know the real you? All of that brings us back full circle to Christ and our salvation because of Him. We are safe in His care!! We are loved!! He will not dissappoint us.
Now let's look at God's Word Translation of the same scripture as above: "Now that we have God's approval by faith, we have peace with God, because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done. Through Christ we can approach God and stand in His favor. So we brag because of our confidence that we will recieve glory form God. But that's not all. We also brag when we are suffering. We know that suffering creates endurance, endurance creates character, and character creates confidence. We're not ashamed to have this confidence, because God's love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Ordinarily, we Christians are turned off by the word brag because it seems a bit self-centered. God does not want us to be self-centered. Far from it--this scripture talks about God and His love and gifts, Jesus and His life, death, sacrifice and gift of salvation, and the Holy Spirit who is a gift to us and resides in our hearts. The Holy Spirit is a gift that keeps giving--look Him up for yourself and see what He does for you. Now, getting back to BRAG, this word intends for us to brag about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Brag means to engage in self-glorification but in this word the glorification goes to God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I want your attention to be drawn to the word engage. It means to attract and hold by influence or power, to interlock with. Do you see why bragging applies here? God is attractive. Jesus is the best influence for us. The Holy Spirit interlocks us all together in a unified spirit of bonding. I also like to think that the notion we have about bragging on ourselves is one of motivation. We are motivated to do more of the same when we are glorified because of an act of ours. Let our acts be for God's use and be so motivated and active toward Him. My friend, this kind of life is a confident one and enjoyable one and full of peace and satisfation. If you currently find yourself in the opposite frame of mind then I suggest that you pray Romans 5:1-5 to Holy Dad and ask for His help in this area. Memorize it. Make it personal and insert me and my for we and our. Holy Dad and Jesus and the Holy Spirit are all excited about life with you. Come and live a confident life with Him!!
Sisterly love to all, Wynndy
I have been reading the first 5 chapters of Romans for this month's reading. I read a small (or parts of) book of the Bible each morning for 30 days. I came across Romans 5: 1-5 that speaks about faith, peace, joy, confidence, hope and other wonderful things that God does for us. You will see later why I titled today's blog with BRAG.
Let's look at the NLT version of todays scripture: "Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Chrsit our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privelege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us--they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love." God created us. We sinned. Jesus was sent to us by God to take the punishment for our sins. Jesus died and suffered for us. Jesus experienced everything we experience. He knows what we know. Believeing that Jesus is who He says He is and trusting that He did what He said He did--is called faith. Our faith also carries us forward knowing that God has more to show us and more for us to do for Him. With all of that said--this brings us to a privileged state. That means we are standing up straight and tall and confidently. Not because of anything we have done but because Jesus Christ made it possible! Our attitude becomes Joyful! Not sad. Not depressed. Not sulking and bitter. But JOYFUL!! Now come the problems and hardships. What to do? We deal with them. Dealing, first of all, takes the fear out of the situation. Dealing creates a stick-with-it attitude. That attitude brings out your individual features. He makes the real you shine. Do you know the real you? All of that brings us back full circle to Christ and our salvation because of Him. We are safe in His care!! We are loved!! He will not dissappoint us.
Now let's look at God's Word Translation of the same scripture as above: "Now that we have God's approval by faith, we have peace with God, because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done. Through Christ we can approach God and stand in His favor. So we brag because of our confidence that we will recieve glory form God. But that's not all. We also brag when we are suffering. We know that suffering creates endurance, endurance creates character, and character creates confidence. We're not ashamed to have this confidence, because God's love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Ordinarily, we Christians are turned off by the word brag because it seems a bit self-centered. God does not want us to be self-centered. Far from it--this scripture talks about God and His love and gifts, Jesus and His life, death, sacrifice and gift of salvation, and the Holy Spirit who is a gift to us and resides in our hearts. The Holy Spirit is a gift that keeps giving--look Him up for yourself and see what He does for you. Now, getting back to BRAG, this word intends for us to brag about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Brag means to engage in self-glorification but in this word the glorification goes to God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I want your attention to be drawn to the word engage. It means to attract and hold by influence or power, to interlock with. Do you see why bragging applies here? God is attractive. Jesus is the best influence for us. The Holy Spirit interlocks us all together in a unified spirit of bonding. I also like to think that the notion we have about bragging on ourselves is one of motivation. We are motivated to do more of the same when we are glorified because of an act of ours. Let our acts be for God's use and be so motivated and active toward Him. My friend, this kind of life is a confident one and enjoyable one and full of peace and satisfation. If you currently find yourself in the opposite frame of mind then I suggest that you pray Romans 5:1-5 to Holy Dad and ask for His help in this area. Memorize it. Make it personal and insert me and my for we and our. Holy Dad and Jesus and the Holy Spirit are all excited about life with you. Come and live a confident life with Him!!
Sisterly love to all, Wynndy
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