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
Friday, February 24, 2012
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
Friday, February 10, 2012
Happiness!
We are a few days before celebrating Valentine's Day. I have always loved Valentines Day and my wonderful husband has used it many times to express love in bonus doses. It has not been celebrated everyyear for different reasons, such as him not being home, decreased finances, etc., but the years that we are able to do some special things makes those times extra special. All married lives have ups and downs as do the live of single folks. Single folks tend to hate this time of year as it causes pain and a reminder of not having a close, intimate relationship with a loved one. Friend, I hope to help you be able to celebrate Valentine's Day this year.
Relational injuries suffered during childhood years and from adult relationships keep us from forming healthy relationships and even from feeling good about ourselves. I am working on a book "Comfortable in My Own Skin" that I hope will help you feel good about yourself--so good that you don't have to think about yourself and all the bad things that have happened to you.
A valentine is a sweet-heart chosen or greeted on Saint Valentine's Day. Did you read the definition closely? The sweet-heart is "chosen" or greeted". Friend, you are already chosen (now stay with me) and actually loved. I know you don't feel it yet but the love' never-the-less, exists. 1 John 4:19 (NIV): "We love because He first loved us." It is a short verse but packed full of great information. I hope that you take the information and use it to turn your love life around. Once you accept in your mind and heart that God loves you then you will be able to feel love. The plain truth is that God loves us. You may have problems feeling His love or even accepting His love because of past relational injuries. He knows that. Vs 18 (MSG) says: "There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life--fear of death, fear of judgment--is one not yet fully formed in love." Those injuries of yours has resulted in all sorts of fears. And as you well know, fears are disabling. But what you don't realize is that fears are reversible and can be cured. The memories of those injuries can be healed by God's Word (still follow me). Vs 19 (MSG) tells us about the turn-around: "We, though, are going to love--love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first."
I know, I know! Things have happened to you that is very unfair and probably at your most vulnerable time. Friend, I am so very sorry that those things happened to you. You are right! It was unfair and you had no control over it--and that makes it even worse. You might even be angry with God for allowing such a thing to happen to you. (Just take yourself back to the beginning in Genesis when He made everything perfect for us but we messed up and behaved badly.) If only you could have controlled it. Perhaps you replay the tape of it over and over again hoping to change it. Face it, my love, you can't change the past. But you can have the memories healed--not erased--but healed. Those memories continue to haunt you and control you. Now you don't want it to control you, do you? I didn't think so! My friend, it is not you who can heal your memories--it is God. He wants to heal you so you can feel His love and love back. Romans 12:2 (NLT): "Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think, then you will know what God wants you to do." Make a decision this very second to change your way of thinking. Allow yourself to think God's way. You can do it--with His help--just ask Him!!
Ok. Are you ready for change? We are revisiting two 21 Day Journal Notes in case you didn't feel you needed them the first time I posted them. Handwriting these journal notes causes a connection between your brain and your mind (susbconscious) to happen. Dr. Caroline Leaf has written a couple of books about this phenomenon and how it is proven effect. Everyone knows that it takes 21 days to change a habit and that you have to replace a bad one with a good one. This is the same principle. Please, please want it (a happy Valentine's Day) bad enough that you will pull out a notebook and change your way of life. I experienced incredible changes by this method.
21 Day Journal Note # 10
How to Overcome Past Relational Pain
Psalm 37 (NIV)
Vs. 1. Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong. Vs. 7. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Vs. 8. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret--it leads only to evil. Vs. 9. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
I am not fretting and worrying because of past relational pain. Instead, I am standing still before You Lord, waiting patiently and calmly for You. I refuse to get stuck in an angry rut toward people who have hurt me. I choose to forgive them. Fretting and worrying produces only one thing and that is bad behavior. Bad behavior breaks up relationships. God, You are dealing with bad behavior whether it is mine or others. Father, thank You for helping me to thrive!
end of journal note.
You can tell by this journal note (God's word) that we sometimes prevent our healing because of anger. We love to nurse anger inside of us. It's our way of getting back at the other person (or is it?). I think we may hold onto anger in honor of our injured self. If we let go of it are we telling ourselves that we aren't worth the fight (inside of ourselves)? That's the scam that satan is selling you and you are buying it. Well buy no more. God's word is free and freeing and loving.
Relational pain usually involves some form of rejection or abandonment. The next journal note speaks to it.
21 Day Journal Note # 13
Fear of Rejection
2 Timothy 1:7 (combined versions) God did not give me a spirit of fear/timidty, but He gave me a Spirit of power, love and self-discipline/sound mind.
My fear of future relational pain is from Satan. I refuse to feel this unnecessary fear. God, I have Your power and love infused in me. I have Your sound mind to think rationally and calmly when in the middle of being relationally challenged. I have self-discipline to use all of Your wonderful gifts and promises. Future relational pain will sting but I will not be devastated.
end of journal note. Hand write this one for 21 days to dissolve your fear of future relationships. This fear dooms the relationship before it ever has a chance. Get rid of the fear and get love.
My friend, do you have hope now? Handwrite these 2 notes and start to feel the effects by day 4 but continue to day 21 to fully change your love life.
But I want to ask you one more thing? Do you love Jesus? Did you know that God loved you so much that He gave up His only Son to pay the price for our bad behavior? Yes!! God gave up (sacrificed) Jesus for you and Jesus gave up (sacrificed) His own life for you. Now that's true love. Are you giving up (sacrificing) yourself and committing to Jesus? He wants you to so that your love life will be so fully satisfying that nothing compares to it. Love is really about sacrificing and giving up things for those you love (or hope to love in the future). Giving up anger and resentment frees you up to feel God's love and do all the great life things that God wants you to do. Remember at the beginning we discovered that Valentine's Day is about chosing a sweet-heart. Well, Jesus wants you to choose Him. Choose Jesus and you'll have a life-time full of love.
My Valentine Friend, I love you and pray that you will enjoy this holiday like you've never imagine it to turn out.
Jesus' healing and peace and love to all, Wynndy
Relational injuries suffered during childhood years and from adult relationships keep us from forming healthy relationships and even from feeling good about ourselves. I am working on a book "Comfortable in My Own Skin" that I hope will help you feel good about yourself--so good that you don't have to think about yourself and all the bad things that have happened to you.
A valentine is a sweet-heart chosen or greeted on Saint Valentine's Day. Did you read the definition closely? The sweet-heart is "chosen" or greeted". Friend, you are already chosen (now stay with me) and actually loved. I know you don't feel it yet but the love' never-the-less, exists. 1 John 4:19 (NIV): "We love because He first loved us." It is a short verse but packed full of great information. I hope that you take the information and use it to turn your love life around. Once you accept in your mind and heart that God loves you then you will be able to feel love. The plain truth is that God loves us. You may have problems feeling His love or even accepting His love because of past relational injuries. He knows that. Vs 18 (MSG) says: "There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life--fear of death, fear of judgment--is one not yet fully formed in love." Those injuries of yours has resulted in all sorts of fears. And as you well know, fears are disabling. But what you don't realize is that fears are reversible and can be cured. The memories of those injuries can be healed by God's Word (still follow me). Vs 19 (MSG) tells us about the turn-around: "We, though, are going to love--love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first."
I know, I know! Things have happened to you that is very unfair and probably at your most vulnerable time. Friend, I am so very sorry that those things happened to you. You are right! It was unfair and you had no control over it--and that makes it even worse. You might even be angry with God for allowing such a thing to happen to you. (Just take yourself back to the beginning in Genesis when He made everything perfect for us but we messed up and behaved badly.) If only you could have controlled it. Perhaps you replay the tape of it over and over again hoping to change it. Face it, my love, you can't change the past. But you can have the memories healed--not erased--but healed. Those memories continue to haunt you and control you. Now you don't want it to control you, do you? I didn't think so! My friend, it is not you who can heal your memories--it is God. He wants to heal you so you can feel His love and love back. Romans 12:2 (NLT): "Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think, then you will know what God wants you to do." Make a decision this very second to change your way of thinking. Allow yourself to think God's way. You can do it--with His help--just ask Him!!
Ok. Are you ready for change? We are revisiting two 21 Day Journal Notes in case you didn't feel you needed them the first time I posted them. Handwriting these journal notes causes a connection between your brain and your mind (susbconscious) to happen. Dr. Caroline Leaf has written a couple of books about this phenomenon and how it is proven effect. Everyone knows that it takes 21 days to change a habit and that you have to replace a bad one with a good one. This is the same principle. Please, please want it (a happy Valentine's Day) bad enough that you will pull out a notebook and change your way of life. I experienced incredible changes by this method.
21 Day Journal Note # 10
How to Overcome Past Relational Pain
Psalm 37 (NIV)
Vs. 1. Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong. Vs. 7. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Vs. 8. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret--it leads only to evil. Vs. 9. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
I am not fretting and worrying because of past relational pain. Instead, I am standing still before You Lord, waiting patiently and calmly for You. I refuse to get stuck in an angry rut toward people who have hurt me. I choose to forgive them. Fretting and worrying produces only one thing and that is bad behavior. Bad behavior breaks up relationships. God, You are dealing with bad behavior whether it is mine or others. Father, thank You for helping me to thrive!
end of journal note.
You can tell by this journal note (God's word) that we sometimes prevent our healing because of anger. We love to nurse anger inside of us. It's our way of getting back at the other person (or is it?). I think we may hold onto anger in honor of our injured self. If we let go of it are we telling ourselves that we aren't worth the fight (inside of ourselves)? That's the scam that satan is selling you and you are buying it. Well buy no more. God's word is free and freeing and loving.
Relational pain usually involves some form of rejection or abandonment. The next journal note speaks to it.
21 Day Journal Note # 13
Fear of Rejection
2 Timothy 1:7 (combined versions) God did not give me a spirit of fear/timidty, but He gave me a Spirit of power, love and self-discipline/sound mind.
My fear of future relational pain is from Satan. I refuse to feel this unnecessary fear. God, I have Your power and love infused in me. I have Your sound mind to think rationally and calmly when in the middle of being relationally challenged. I have self-discipline to use all of Your wonderful gifts and promises. Future relational pain will sting but I will not be devastated.
end of journal note. Hand write this one for 21 days to dissolve your fear of future relationships. This fear dooms the relationship before it ever has a chance. Get rid of the fear and get love.
My friend, do you have hope now? Handwrite these 2 notes and start to feel the effects by day 4 but continue to day 21 to fully change your love life.
But I want to ask you one more thing? Do you love Jesus? Did you know that God loved you so much that He gave up His only Son to pay the price for our bad behavior? Yes!! God gave up (sacrificed) Jesus for you and Jesus gave up (sacrificed) His own life for you. Now that's true love. Are you giving up (sacrificing) yourself and committing to Jesus? He wants you to so that your love life will be so fully satisfying that nothing compares to it. Love is really about sacrificing and giving up things for those you love (or hope to love in the future). Giving up anger and resentment frees you up to feel God's love and do all the great life things that God wants you to do. Remember at the beginning we discovered that Valentine's Day is about chosing a sweet-heart. Well, Jesus wants you to choose Him. Choose Jesus and you'll have a life-time full of love.
My Valentine Friend, I love you and pray that you will enjoy this holiday like you've never imagine it to turn out.
Jesus' healing and peace and love to all, Wynndy
Friday, February 3, 2012
Wholesome Living, Real Life
I am opening up this blog with some questions. Please answer the questions--even write your answers down on a piece of paper. Then as you read this blog take note of how you can achieve the desired answers.
Do you wish to feel more alive?
Do you want to be more concerned?
Would you like to feel more sensitve? And not numb from depression?
Do you really desire to act more reverently toward God?
What are you passionate about? What gets your heart pumping fast?
Are you doing what you should be doing, whatever that may be?
Answering these questions is meant to help you see where you are--inside. If your answers reveal that you do want these things then it means your life is not going in the right direction. You are saying that you are not satisfied with your life as it currently is, right?
What is distressing you at this very moment?
Did you write down the answer? It's important to identify the distressing factor because it is a necessary element to turning your life around. How's that?
2 Corinthians 7:10 (MSG): "Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation." Usually the casual Christian talks to God only when they can't change the mess they are in. Are you the casusal Christian who does this? So what if you have a big distress or just a little distress. Both will work. Go to Holy Dad and tell Him your situation. Ask Him to help you go back to your new beginning, the new person He made you when you got saved. I know. It's hard letting yourself go and letting God have a lead role in your life but He knows that and that is what distresses are about. So use them to your advantage. Look at the result when you do: Verse 11: "And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible."
Now let's go back to your new beginning, the time when you were saved. John 3:16 (MSG): "This is how much God loved the world: He gave His Son, His one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life." Did you hear the whole and lasting life part? Friend, you may not believe it--but this life is yours. The word "believing" means we trust and have confidence in Him. Do you remember what the definition of confidence is? Trust, reliance, assurance. Those attributes belong to God. He designed us to live with Him inside of us. And what about the Bible? Do you feel bad about your poor decisions and actions when you read it? So you don't read it because you don't want to feel bad about yourself? Verse 17 tells us: "God didn't go to all the trouble of sending His Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again." Friend, this word is to help you, not to hurt you. God is for you and not against you. He just wants you to have a wholesome life, a real life.
Are you still trying to do it own your own?
Do you feel like you are living a real life?
Are you satisfied wtih the way things are?
Did you know that depression, anxiety and self-hatred cause a person to be self-centered?
I hope you wrote your answers down. God says if you are doing it on your own then you are not living the way He designed you to live. Romans 8:5-8 (MSG): "Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's actions in them find that God's Spirit is in them--living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absored in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what He is doing. And God isn't pleased at being ignored." You see friend, God knows how you operate. He knows that lots of bad feelings tangle us up inside ourselves. We try really hard to fix things. We try to redo the past. We try to change people's actions toward us (when in fact they have their own set of bad problems). But none of this works and God knows that. He wants to help you. Go ahead and ask Holy Dad to help you to stop focusing on yourself. Ask Him to help you focus on Him. He will be delighted to hear you ask for that! Ask God to help you trust His actions and to give you a peace that you just can't explain. Tell Him that you want to live that spacious, free life more than anything else in the world. And friend, ask Him to help you love Him with your total being and energies--even if you don't know how to do it. Trust me, He'll help you with that part because He wants very much for you to love Him with your everything.
Ok friend. Are you ready for wholesome living, a real life, spacious and free living? You answered my questions. Now let God answer the questions you asked Him.
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Do you wish to feel more alive?
Do you want to be more concerned?
Would you like to feel more sensitve? And not numb from depression?
Do you really desire to act more reverently toward God?
What are you passionate about? What gets your heart pumping fast?
Are you doing what you should be doing, whatever that may be?
Answering these questions is meant to help you see where you are--inside. If your answers reveal that you do want these things then it means your life is not going in the right direction. You are saying that you are not satisfied with your life as it currently is, right?
What is distressing you at this very moment?
Did you write down the answer? It's important to identify the distressing factor because it is a necessary element to turning your life around. How's that?
2 Corinthians 7:10 (MSG): "Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation." Usually the casual Christian talks to God only when they can't change the mess they are in. Are you the casusal Christian who does this? So what if you have a big distress or just a little distress. Both will work. Go to Holy Dad and tell Him your situation. Ask Him to help you go back to your new beginning, the new person He made you when you got saved. I know. It's hard letting yourself go and letting God have a lead role in your life but He knows that and that is what distresses are about. So use them to your advantage. Look at the result when you do: Verse 11: "And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible."
Now let's go back to your new beginning, the time when you were saved. John 3:16 (MSG): "This is how much God loved the world: He gave His Son, His one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life." Did you hear the whole and lasting life part? Friend, you may not believe it--but this life is yours. The word "believing" means we trust and have confidence in Him. Do you remember what the definition of confidence is? Trust, reliance, assurance. Those attributes belong to God. He designed us to live with Him inside of us. And what about the Bible? Do you feel bad about your poor decisions and actions when you read it? So you don't read it because you don't want to feel bad about yourself? Verse 17 tells us: "God didn't go to all the trouble of sending His Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again." Friend, this word is to help you, not to hurt you. God is for you and not against you. He just wants you to have a wholesome life, a real life.
Are you still trying to do it own your own?
Do you feel like you are living a real life?
Are you satisfied wtih the way things are?
Did you know that depression, anxiety and self-hatred cause a person to be self-centered?
I hope you wrote your answers down. God says if you are doing it on your own then you are not living the way He designed you to live. Romans 8:5-8 (MSG): "Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's actions in them find that God's Spirit is in them--living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absored in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what He is doing. And God isn't pleased at being ignored." You see friend, God knows how you operate. He knows that lots of bad feelings tangle us up inside ourselves. We try really hard to fix things. We try to redo the past. We try to change people's actions toward us (when in fact they have their own set of bad problems). But none of this works and God knows that. He wants to help you. Go ahead and ask Holy Dad to help you to stop focusing on yourself. Ask Him to help you focus on Him. He will be delighted to hear you ask for that! Ask God to help you trust His actions and to give you a peace that you just can't explain. Tell Him that you want to live that spacious, free life more than anything else in the world. And friend, ask Him to help you love Him with your total being and energies--even if you don't know how to do it. Trust me, He'll help you with that part because He wants very much for you to love Him with your everything.
Ok friend. Are you ready for wholesome living, a real life, spacious and free living? You answered my questions. Now let God answer the questions you asked Him.
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Friday, January 27, 2012
Self-Freedom
Aren't you glad today is Friday? I am. Keevin is coming home this evening and I have some honey-do things for him to do in this new/old home. I have enjoyed my new dwelling place this week. We don't have TV connection yet so I have spent time with the house, getting to know it. It's funny how TV distracts us. The word distract means to draw the mind away in another direction.. The TV not only distracts us but it sucks us in and keeps us there. I love to watch TV and I allow it to control my mind. I allow it to keep me from doing other things that need to be done. And along with watching TV is allowing myself to be influenced by its unhealthiness. When we do get TV connection I want to commit to turning it on only in the evenings to catch the news and watch NCIS and few other shows. But the rest of the time can be of better use to God. I enjoy writing on my book during the day, so I should be able to get more done on it by this commitment. House work will be kept up to date, also.
I've been wondering if any of you out there have had any break-throughs regarding your confidence? Have you used God's word to boost the real you? I talked about the TV sucking us in but other things can do the same. Lacking self-esteem and being self-confident can pull us into ourselves. It is dark way down deep inside ourselves. Depression, anxiety, fear, anger, jealousy, etc--all of these keep us going inside ourselves trying to figure out what we can do differently or trying to redo the past. The truth is the past is done and over and cannot be redone. It doesn't mean you can't be forgiven of your past or that you can't forgive someone else of a past offense. Forgiving is very liberating.
I mentioned that self-confidence pulls us inside ourselves. That's because we are relying on ourselves to come up with the answers. Look at the definition of confidence: trust; reliance; assurance. Those are the attributes we give and feel toward God. Self-confidence draws us away from God. That's why this blog is called confidence done right--God's right way (Isaiah 32:17). As soon as one gives up on letting self direct the life and allow God to direct, the life of that person blooms. That's how God designed us. Philippians 2:3 (GWT) says: "Don't act out of selfish ambition or be conceited." God didn't design us to guide ourselves. Have you ever wondered why you don't have many friends or any good friends? Philippinas 2:4 (GWT) says: "Don't be concerned only about only about your own interests, but also be concerned about the interests of others." And notice that the last verse speaks to your concerns--it's ok to have your own concerns. Just don't be consumed by them so as to not see others and their needs.
How does one get out of your own self? It feels like a prison, doesn't it? Jesus can help you get out. Hebrews 4:14-16 (MSG): "Now that we know what we have--Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God--let's not let it slip through our fingers. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all--all but the sin. so let's walk right up to Him and get what He is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help." Jesus is more than your high priest. He is your friend, your confidant. He was tempted and suffered every kind of thing you and I have been through--He knows what you are experiencing and has advise for you. So--do what the verse says to do--walk right up to Him. Stand up and say: "Jesus, here I am. I need you to help me do life Your way. I am ready to do whatever You say." And friend, stay in contact with Him. Talk to Him about everything. Read His word and find out what He says about your situation. Most topics can be found in the concordance in the back of your Bible. Biblestudytools.com and Gotquestions.org offer answers.
Friend, I want you so comfortable in your own skin that you don't even have to think about yourself and your flaws. Matthew 5:5 (MSG): "You're blessed when you're content with just who you are--no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought." I love that verse. This would be a good one to add to your 20 core memory verses!
Now on to 21 Day Journal Note # 28. I think it appropriately fits todays conversation.
21 Day Journal Note # 28
FREEDOM
You, O Lord are freedom! I confess to you that I am a slave to the enemy. Mostly through my bad self-talk and not conferring with You constantly with decisions and thoughts. I admit that I throw my thoughts to the wind and the evil one picks them up.
Father, please help me to redirect my wind-tossed thoughts back to You. To direct my daily living habits towards Your desires and plans. I want to honor Your way and live freely.
Galatians 5:16-17 (NLT) says: So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just the opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict.
I thank you Jesus that Your Spirit gives me desires. I am now constantly choosing to follow Your ways.
end of journal note.
Hand write this one once a day x 21 days to rewire your brain and discover freedom from yourself. Be good to yourself by allowing Jesus to give you advise--and truly take His advise. He Loves you very much!!
Hope this helps my friend.
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
I've been wondering if any of you out there have had any break-throughs regarding your confidence? Have you used God's word to boost the real you? I talked about the TV sucking us in but other things can do the same. Lacking self-esteem and being self-confident can pull us into ourselves. It is dark way down deep inside ourselves. Depression, anxiety, fear, anger, jealousy, etc--all of these keep us going inside ourselves trying to figure out what we can do differently or trying to redo the past. The truth is the past is done and over and cannot be redone. It doesn't mean you can't be forgiven of your past or that you can't forgive someone else of a past offense. Forgiving is very liberating.
I mentioned that self-confidence pulls us inside ourselves. That's because we are relying on ourselves to come up with the answers. Look at the definition of confidence: trust; reliance; assurance. Those are the attributes we give and feel toward God. Self-confidence draws us away from God. That's why this blog is called confidence done right--God's right way (Isaiah 32:17). As soon as one gives up on letting self direct the life and allow God to direct, the life of that person blooms. That's how God designed us. Philippians 2:3 (GWT) says: "Don't act out of selfish ambition or be conceited." God didn't design us to guide ourselves. Have you ever wondered why you don't have many friends or any good friends? Philippinas 2:4 (GWT) says: "Don't be concerned only about only about your own interests, but also be concerned about the interests of others." And notice that the last verse speaks to your concerns--it's ok to have your own concerns. Just don't be consumed by them so as to not see others and their needs.
How does one get out of your own self? It feels like a prison, doesn't it? Jesus can help you get out. Hebrews 4:14-16 (MSG): "Now that we know what we have--Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God--let's not let it slip through our fingers. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all--all but the sin. so let's walk right up to Him and get what He is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help." Jesus is more than your high priest. He is your friend, your confidant. He was tempted and suffered every kind of thing you and I have been through--He knows what you are experiencing and has advise for you. So--do what the verse says to do--walk right up to Him. Stand up and say: "Jesus, here I am. I need you to help me do life Your way. I am ready to do whatever You say." And friend, stay in contact with Him. Talk to Him about everything. Read His word and find out what He says about your situation. Most topics can be found in the concordance in the back of your Bible. Biblestudytools.com and Gotquestions.org offer answers.
Friend, I want you so comfortable in your own skin that you don't even have to think about yourself and your flaws. Matthew 5:5 (MSG): "You're blessed when you're content with just who you are--no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought." I love that verse. This would be a good one to add to your 20 core memory verses!
Now on to 21 Day Journal Note # 28. I think it appropriately fits todays conversation.
21 Day Journal Note # 28
FREEDOM
You, O Lord are freedom! I confess to you that I am a slave to the enemy. Mostly through my bad self-talk and not conferring with You constantly with decisions and thoughts. I admit that I throw my thoughts to the wind and the evil one picks them up.
Father, please help me to redirect my wind-tossed thoughts back to You. To direct my daily living habits towards Your desires and plans. I want to honor Your way and live freely.
Galatians 5:16-17 (NLT) says: So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just the opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict.
I thank you Jesus that Your Spirit gives me desires. I am now constantly choosing to follow Your ways.
end of journal note.
Hand write this one once a day x 21 days to rewire your brain and discover freedom from yourself. Be good to yourself by allowing Jesus to give you advise--and truly take His advise. He Loves you very much!!
Hope this helps my friend.
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Friday, January 20, 2012
Feel the Love!
Hey there, friends!! I am excited today! Keevin and I toured a house last week and fell in love with it. It was our second choice but it was more than I could imagine. It's funny that from looking at it from the outside (as we did the previous weekend) and looking at it on the inside were two different experiences. In fact, we did not go and tour the first choice. It was obvious that house # 2 was God's choice. Thank You my Lord!!
Keevin and I will go this morning to have the electricity turned on and the propane is already switched over to our name. We will move in this weekend and once again be out of the camper. The house is a simple brick farmhouse with 3 levels. The main level has the usual living room, kitchen, bathroom, dinning room and 2 bedrooms. The upper level is rustic with creaking old floors but also has a bathroom with a cast-iron claw-foot tub. This area will be for our guests and visitors as we will close it off and conserve on heat when by ourselves. The bottom level is a full, dark basement but great for our storage stuff--we are very grateful for this area. In fact, we are very grateful for each and every level and space. I forgot to tell you about my favorite. Attached to the kitchen is a very small sun porch. Small, yes, but me and my plants will love this area.
We came back to the camper after touring the house and deciding that this is the right place. As I was moving around and doing some light housekeeping I noticed a card on the bulletin board that we have hanging up. This card was dated 9-20-11. Not long after we had moved here I wrote down details I wanted for my next home. As I read over the forgotten card my heart became a little overwhelmed. I realized that God had given me what I desired. Look at the details: 3 bedroom, 2 bath, dinning room, dishwasher, no carpet, hardwood floors, in a valley with a beautiful view of the mountains. I forgot to tell you that although the kitchen is small it is beautifully and newly renovated including a dishwasher--yes, in this old farmhouse. This kitchen even has one of those fancy fauscets where the sprayer is also the faucet and has a soap dispenser. And the view is wonderful!! Through the windows one can look at a winding road going up the mountain. There are lots of cabins and a Christmas tree patch to look at. A top the mountain is a big, pretty house. A horse stable is just in front of us. Lot's of eye candy. I know my family and friends will enjoy the visit here and feel like they are on vacation. But I have to tell you this is not the first time God has given me a house that was on my wish list. It happened at our last house. It happened when we were living in the camper before where I started writing a Bible study, I made a similar card but it had different details because all my children were joining us in that house. I asked for 2200 or so square foot, 3 bathrooms, fireplace and some other things. God gave us 2700 square foot with an upper level perfect for my daughter and her 2 children and Cody had his room and we even had an extra room for an office so that I could do more writing. And it had 3 full bathrooms. It's funny that both times I made these cards out God did not allow me to look inside and tour other homes. He specifically gave us these two homes without us picking them out. I would have loved looking in other houses but God wanted me to know that this was His present to me and I love that even more.
Psalm 37: 3-4 (NIV): "Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:3-4 is number 3 on my 20 core memory verses. If I didn't know this verse so intimately I might would have not noticed my desires being fulfilled by God. I might would have considered the two houses as coincidental. But I know better. I really know better because I have committed myself to His Word. Friend, this has contributed to a wonderful sense of significance and connection to Holy Dad. As I lay down at night I recite my 20 core verses. The habit of going over them relaxes me, grows the word in me, and have at times inspired me with prayers for other people. I strongly urge you to do this as His word will be your life. Psalm 119:11 (NIV): "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against You." It is a sin not to memorize and take time to think about these verses. When you start experiencing the amazing effect of this habit you'll find yourself wanting to go beyond the 20 you've assigned yourself to. Thanksgiving is the byproduct of this habit. Thanksgiving leads to peace and contentment and it feels awesome to me!
1 John 4:19 (NIV): "We love because He first loved us." Bask in His love. Allow Him to love You. Give over to His way and you'll feel it---love! 1 John 4:18 (MSG): "God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day--our standing in the world is idenical with Christ's. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life--fear of death, fear of judgment--is one not yet fully formed in love." Friend, the life not yet fully formed in love is a life without the right kind of confidence. To have the confidence you crave--you'll get it by doing it His way.
Friend, I encourage you to have a home that is mature and full of God--that is your inner home. It is possible to change from your loveless self and feel His warmth. Ask Holy Dad to help you in this area. Soak in His word and commit to loving God with your total being and energies. You'll find yourself energized and feeling good about life.
The verse that started this blog says it perfectly: Isaiah 32:17 (NIV): "The fruit of righteousness is peace; the effect of righteousness is quietness and confidence forever."
Do the right things--God's things!! Enjoy the new feeling!!
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Keevin and I will go this morning to have the electricity turned on and the propane is already switched over to our name. We will move in this weekend and once again be out of the camper. The house is a simple brick farmhouse with 3 levels. The main level has the usual living room, kitchen, bathroom, dinning room and 2 bedrooms. The upper level is rustic with creaking old floors but also has a bathroom with a cast-iron claw-foot tub. This area will be for our guests and visitors as we will close it off and conserve on heat when by ourselves. The bottom level is a full, dark basement but great for our storage stuff--we are very grateful for this area. In fact, we are very grateful for each and every level and space. I forgot to tell you about my favorite. Attached to the kitchen is a very small sun porch. Small, yes, but me and my plants will love this area.
We came back to the camper after touring the house and deciding that this is the right place. As I was moving around and doing some light housekeeping I noticed a card on the bulletin board that we have hanging up. This card was dated 9-20-11. Not long after we had moved here I wrote down details I wanted for my next home. As I read over the forgotten card my heart became a little overwhelmed. I realized that God had given me what I desired. Look at the details: 3 bedroom, 2 bath, dinning room, dishwasher, no carpet, hardwood floors, in a valley with a beautiful view of the mountains. I forgot to tell you that although the kitchen is small it is beautifully and newly renovated including a dishwasher--yes, in this old farmhouse. This kitchen even has one of those fancy fauscets where the sprayer is also the faucet and has a soap dispenser. And the view is wonderful!! Through the windows one can look at a winding road going up the mountain. There are lots of cabins and a Christmas tree patch to look at. A top the mountain is a big, pretty house. A horse stable is just in front of us. Lot's of eye candy. I know my family and friends will enjoy the visit here and feel like they are on vacation. But I have to tell you this is not the first time God has given me a house that was on my wish list. It happened at our last house. It happened when we were living in the camper before where I started writing a Bible study, I made a similar card but it had different details because all my children were joining us in that house. I asked for 2200 or so square foot, 3 bathrooms, fireplace and some other things. God gave us 2700 square foot with an upper level perfect for my daughter and her 2 children and Cody had his room and we even had an extra room for an office so that I could do more writing. And it had 3 full bathrooms. It's funny that both times I made these cards out God did not allow me to look inside and tour other homes. He specifically gave us these two homes without us picking them out. I would have loved looking in other houses but God wanted me to know that this was His present to me and I love that even more.
Psalm 37: 3-4 (NIV): "Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:3-4 is number 3 on my 20 core memory verses. If I didn't know this verse so intimately I might would have not noticed my desires being fulfilled by God. I might would have considered the two houses as coincidental. But I know better. I really know better because I have committed myself to His Word. Friend, this has contributed to a wonderful sense of significance and connection to Holy Dad. As I lay down at night I recite my 20 core verses. The habit of going over them relaxes me, grows the word in me, and have at times inspired me with prayers for other people. I strongly urge you to do this as His word will be your life. Psalm 119:11 (NIV): "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against You." It is a sin not to memorize and take time to think about these verses. When you start experiencing the amazing effect of this habit you'll find yourself wanting to go beyond the 20 you've assigned yourself to. Thanksgiving is the byproduct of this habit. Thanksgiving leads to peace and contentment and it feels awesome to me!
1 John 4:19 (NIV): "We love because He first loved us." Bask in His love. Allow Him to love You. Give over to His way and you'll feel it---love! 1 John 4:18 (MSG): "God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day--our standing in the world is idenical with Christ's. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life--fear of death, fear of judgment--is one not yet fully formed in love." Friend, the life not yet fully formed in love is a life without the right kind of confidence. To have the confidence you crave--you'll get it by doing it His way.
Friend, I encourage you to have a home that is mature and full of God--that is your inner home. It is possible to change from your loveless self and feel His warmth. Ask Holy Dad to help you in this area. Soak in His word and commit to loving God with your total being and energies. You'll find yourself energized and feeling good about life.
The verse that started this blog says it perfectly: Isaiah 32:17 (NIV): "The fruit of righteousness is peace; the effect of righteousness is quietness and confidence forever."
Do the right things--God's things!! Enjoy the new feeling!!
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Friday, January 13, 2012
Close The Windows But Open The Curtains.
Happy Friday the 13th to all! Aren't Fridays good! A bit of excitement is in the air as folks wind down their work week and look forward to free personal time and fun. What do you have planned? Search your mind for something you are thankful for and celebrate it this weekend.
Just floating along in life accepting whatever comes up can yield unsatisfying results. I strongly urge you to put some effort into your life and mold it into a pleasurable experience. Building up on the relationship you have with Holy Dad ensures a more satisfying feeling. He meets needs. He heals wounded hearts. He gives guidance. And He provides companionship with His presence. You'll be amazed at how He pops up when you make time to talk to Him and listen to His word.
Sitting up straight in your chair boosts your confidence and thoughts. It also makes you look more confident. Holy Dad wants you looking and feeling this way because you can attract folks to Jesus.
Work at keeping your hands off your face. Popping your nuckles is also a nervous feature that detracts from a positive, confident you. Mark these on your day planner to work on and be committed to present a better you for Jesus.
People like being around positiveness. One way to create that persona is to search for things to be thankful for. I especially like being thankful for small, seemingly nonsignificant things because without small things life would not be as pleasant.
And now to tell you what I am thankful for: Keevin and I have appointments tomorrow to tour 2 rental houses. Last weekend we rode around and peeped in the windows of the two houses. I fell in love with one but the other one, a close contender, fits more comfortably in our budget. Either way, God is good to us and we want to serve Him with the new home. I will be especially excited to move out of our lovely camper. The wind blew last night gigling the camper a little.
This past week I spent time writing a chapter for my book "Comfortable in My Own Skin." The chapter I worked on was one dealing with self-responsiblity. I came across a verse that binds my house hunting with management of self. Proverbs 25:28 (MSG): "A person without self-control is like a house with its doors and windows knocked out." Look around your home. Imagine all the doors and windows knocked out. You would be extremely cold because most ot the U.S. has snow and frigid temperatures. Do you feel vunerable with the exposure to the world? And you should for good reasons. Satan loves it when you give him a way into your life to stir up trouble for you. Trouble for you means non-attraction to Jesus. So you find yourself cold and vunerable. Now what do you do? Mark a certain time on your dayplanner to meet with God every day. Commit to talking to Him and listenig to His word. He provide fresh, new doors and windows. He'll warm you up and help you with the trouble you find yourself in.
You may find yourself criticizing the situation and feeling very negative about it. Consider 1 John 3:20 (MSG): "It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves." See, God doesn't want you in that criticizing frame of mind. Do you wonder what "the way to shut down" these feelings is? Well let's look at vs 19 (MSG): "My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality." Practice loving God with your total being and energies, then you'll experience a great life. Don't you love the way Holy Dad speaks tenderly to us--even when we have messed up?
Oh, yeah. What about the mess? He's here to help us with it. Yes, we have to face the consequences of our bad actions but He has forgiven us and wants to provide another way of looking at our mess. 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." My friend, it only works if He knows you love Him. I advise you to work on that area of your life. It'll make it a good life!
Are you sick and tired of your life? 21 Day Journal Note # 27 deals with this feeling.
21 Day Journal Note # 27
Sick and Tired
What am I sick and tired of? What is causing my fatigue and physical symptoms? What would help me? I am drawn to ladies who encourage and cheer me on to become the best me that I can be--but they aren't always available. What am I to do? Don't fear! Jesus is here! Jesus is asking in Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG): "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me. And you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
As I recognize fatigue and sickness I will ask Jesus to reveal the source. Then I will follow the plan that Jesus lays out for me. Life flowing forward will be wonderful. Light and free living! Thank You Jesus!!
end of journal note. Hand write it once a day x 21 days to rewire your brain. Freedom and Light is yours!!
Close the doors and windows but open the curtains, my friend.
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
Just floating along in life accepting whatever comes up can yield unsatisfying results. I strongly urge you to put some effort into your life and mold it into a pleasurable experience. Building up on the relationship you have with Holy Dad ensures a more satisfying feeling. He meets needs. He heals wounded hearts. He gives guidance. And He provides companionship with His presence. You'll be amazed at how He pops up when you make time to talk to Him and listen to His word.
Sitting up straight in your chair boosts your confidence and thoughts. It also makes you look more confident. Holy Dad wants you looking and feeling this way because you can attract folks to Jesus.
Work at keeping your hands off your face. Popping your nuckles is also a nervous feature that detracts from a positive, confident you. Mark these on your day planner to work on and be committed to present a better you for Jesus.
People like being around positiveness. One way to create that persona is to search for things to be thankful for. I especially like being thankful for small, seemingly nonsignificant things because without small things life would not be as pleasant.
And now to tell you what I am thankful for: Keevin and I have appointments tomorrow to tour 2 rental houses. Last weekend we rode around and peeped in the windows of the two houses. I fell in love with one but the other one, a close contender, fits more comfortably in our budget. Either way, God is good to us and we want to serve Him with the new home. I will be especially excited to move out of our lovely camper. The wind blew last night gigling the camper a little.
This past week I spent time writing a chapter for my book "Comfortable in My Own Skin." The chapter I worked on was one dealing with self-responsiblity. I came across a verse that binds my house hunting with management of self. Proverbs 25:28 (MSG): "A person without self-control is like a house with its doors and windows knocked out." Look around your home. Imagine all the doors and windows knocked out. You would be extremely cold because most ot the U.S. has snow and frigid temperatures. Do you feel vunerable with the exposure to the world? And you should for good reasons. Satan loves it when you give him a way into your life to stir up trouble for you. Trouble for you means non-attraction to Jesus. So you find yourself cold and vunerable. Now what do you do? Mark a certain time on your dayplanner to meet with God every day. Commit to talking to Him and listenig to His word. He provide fresh, new doors and windows. He'll warm you up and help you with the trouble you find yourself in.
You may find yourself criticizing the situation and feeling very negative about it. Consider 1 John 3:20 (MSG): "It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves." See, God doesn't want you in that criticizing frame of mind. Do you wonder what "the way to shut down" these feelings is? Well let's look at vs 19 (MSG): "My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality." Practice loving God with your total being and energies, then you'll experience a great life. Don't you love the way Holy Dad speaks tenderly to us--even when we have messed up?
Oh, yeah. What about the mess? He's here to help us with it. Yes, we have to face the consequences of our bad actions but He has forgiven us and wants to provide another way of looking at our mess. 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." My friend, it only works if He knows you love Him. I advise you to work on that area of your life. It'll make it a good life!
Are you sick and tired of your life? 21 Day Journal Note # 27 deals with this feeling.
21 Day Journal Note # 27
Sick and Tired
What am I sick and tired of? What is causing my fatigue and physical symptoms? What would help me? I am drawn to ladies who encourage and cheer me on to become the best me that I can be--but they aren't always available. What am I to do? Don't fear! Jesus is here! Jesus is asking in Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG): "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me. And you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
As I recognize fatigue and sickness I will ask Jesus to reveal the source. Then I will follow the plan that Jesus lays out for me. Life flowing forward will be wonderful. Light and free living! Thank You Jesus!!
end of journal note. Hand write it once a day x 21 days to rewire your brain. Freedom and Light is yours!!
Close the doors and windows but open the curtains, my friend.
Jesus' healing and peace to all, Wynndy
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