Monday, September 30, 2013
Attitude of Gratitude
I am grateful for my teenager. It's hard to allow her the space to grow up. I miss her being a baby. But I am also enjoying this new phase of our relationship together.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Quotes to live by
"Love is what we are born with. Fear is what we learn. The spiritual journey is the unlearning of fear and prejudices and the acceptance of love back in our hearts. Love is the essential reality and our purpose on earth." Marianne Williamson
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
The Power of Knowing Who We Are
I love the story of Jesus and the apostle Peter in Matthew 14:28-31. This is when Peter sees Jesus walking on water and beckons Jesus to call him to Him. Peter then walks on water when I think he realizes the impossibility of it all and he begins to sink. He cries out to the Lord, "Save me." Jesus comes and rescues him saying, "Oh ye of little faith. Why did you doubt? Why did you not believe?"
I have always seen this story as a lesson in never doubting the Lord; always believe He will do what He says He will. Recently I have come into another beneficial understanding of this scriptural story. Peter has little faith but this is what a little faith can do. None of the other apostles asked if they could come unto Christ. They did not attempt to walk on water. Peter did. Even though it may have been briefly, he did walk on water. And when Peter began to sink; he believed in Christ enough to call out to Him for Jesus to save him.
So with a little faith, you can walk on water and you can call on God so that He can help save you when you find yourself in deep waters. And by exercising a little faith; you can witness miracles and grow closer to God or witness the things of God so your little faith can grow into greatness.
I am grateful that God has taken my "little faith" and healed my heart. That He has shown me that I am not the "story" of my life but that I am something far greater than that. I am His child, His beloved daughter. The story of my life is merely the experiences I have on a day to day basis. Being His daughter, a child of divinity is who I am.
It is in knowing this eternal truth that I can put things into perspective. It is in understanding this truth that I am able to put on the "armor" of God and become invincible. For no matter what possessions can be taken away from me, this knowledge cannot be. It is in knowing that any experience I have cannot diminish, tarnish, or take away the fact that I am a child of divinity. The lack or abundance I have cannot make me more or less His daughter.
The style of my hair, the design on my clothes, the house I live in, the car I drive, the size of my bank account, or the behavior of my family cannot change this eternal truth either. This knowledge is a treasure that no thief can rob me of. And however someone may try to victimize me, I cannot be a victim unless I choose to be; because being a victim is a state of being. As long as I am His daughter that is who I am. For I am not my painful experiences. Nor am I my happy ones. For they are only experiences and are not a "who" but are merely the what, where, and when I experience in being who I am.
In the scope of the perspective of this eternal truth, the experiences lose their power to overwhelm and control you. It is with this knowing that you can begin to see your life experiences for what they are; opportunities to learn and grow to become more like Christ. Each experience is a chance to develop a deeper relationship with God and turn a little faith into great faith.
It is in understanding the truth of who we are, His children, that we put on our protective armor and see the true nature of our power. This is what makes the impossible possible and allows us to witness miracles. This is what makes us infinite, invincible, and powerful beyond measure. This is what heals us; the truth that who we are is greater than any experience. It is simply that the experiences we have are uniquely designed to show us who we are, if we let them.
Unfortunately we often fall prey to the trap that we are our experiences. In this way of thinking, what does it mean about us when we have negative experiences? And since we often have painful or scary experiences and experiences where we choose to act in less than ideal ways; we feel less than deserving and unworthy of the gift of being God's children and all that entails. But if we can see our experiences for the learning and growing opportunities that they are we can allow them to help us transcend our feeling and accepting anything less than the truth; that we are children of God.
If you can allow your experiences to show you how you are His child, how much He loves you, and what you are capable of as His child; your heart will heal and you will be free of the pain that feeling separated from God causes. I ask you to put aside the story of your life and embrace the truth that you are a child of God; a child of your Father who loves you. When you do this, you will become the gift to the world that you were always meant to be. For every child is a gift to the parents who love them.
And you were never meant to be anything less.
I have always seen this story as a lesson in never doubting the Lord; always believe He will do what He says He will. Recently I have come into another beneficial understanding of this scriptural story. Peter has little faith but this is what a little faith can do. None of the other apostles asked if they could come unto Christ. They did not attempt to walk on water. Peter did. Even though it may have been briefly, he did walk on water. And when Peter began to sink; he believed in Christ enough to call out to Him for Jesus to save him.
So with a little faith, you can walk on water and you can call on God so that He can help save you when you find yourself in deep waters. And by exercising a little faith; you can witness miracles and grow closer to God or witness the things of God so your little faith can grow into greatness.
I am grateful that God has taken my "little faith" and healed my heart. That He has shown me that I am not the "story" of my life but that I am something far greater than that. I am His child, His beloved daughter. The story of my life is merely the experiences I have on a day to day basis. Being His daughter, a child of divinity is who I am.
It is in knowing this eternal truth that I can put things into perspective. It is in understanding this truth that I am able to put on the "armor" of God and become invincible. For no matter what possessions can be taken away from me, this knowledge cannot be. It is in knowing that any experience I have cannot diminish, tarnish, or take away the fact that I am a child of divinity. The lack or abundance I have cannot make me more or less His daughter.
The style of my hair, the design on my clothes, the house I live in, the car I drive, the size of my bank account, or the behavior of my family cannot change this eternal truth either. This knowledge is a treasure that no thief can rob me of. And however someone may try to victimize me, I cannot be a victim unless I choose to be; because being a victim is a state of being. As long as I am His daughter that is who I am. For I am not my painful experiences. Nor am I my happy ones. For they are only experiences and are not a "who" but are merely the what, where, and when I experience in being who I am.
In the scope of the perspective of this eternal truth, the experiences lose their power to overwhelm and control you. It is with this knowing that you can begin to see your life experiences for what they are; opportunities to learn and grow to become more like Christ. Each experience is a chance to develop a deeper relationship with God and turn a little faith into great faith.
It is in understanding the truth of who we are, His children, that we put on our protective armor and see the true nature of our power. This is what makes the impossible possible and allows us to witness miracles. This is what makes us infinite, invincible, and powerful beyond measure. This is what heals us; the truth that who we are is greater than any experience. It is simply that the experiences we have are uniquely designed to show us who we are, if we let them.
Unfortunately we often fall prey to the trap that we are our experiences. In this way of thinking, what does it mean about us when we have negative experiences? And since we often have painful or scary experiences and experiences where we choose to act in less than ideal ways; we feel less than deserving and unworthy of the gift of being God's children and all that entails. But if we can see our experiences for the learning and growing opportunities that they are we can allow them to help us transcend our feeling and accepting anything less than the truth; that we are children of God.
If you can allow your experiences to show you how you are His child, how much He loves you, and what you are capable of as His child; your heart will heal and you will be free of the pain that feeling separated from God causes. I ask you to put aside the story of your life and embrace the truth that you are a child of God; a child of your Father who loves you. When you do this, you will become the gift to the world that you were always meant to be. For every child is a gift to the parents who love them.
And you were never meant to be anything less.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Attitude of Gratitude
I am grateful that you are still reading what I write. Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy immensely. I am grateful to have an outlet for my passion that I can share with others.
What passion is inside of you that letting out would not only bring you great joy but bless others in the process?
What passion is inside of you that letting out would not only bring you great joy but bless others in the process?
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Friday, September 20, 2013
What are you not sharing?
There are times when I share things of a religious nature that I become nervous. Unfortunately it is a sad fact that there are many times when I allow the concern of what people think of me to out way the value of doing what I know will greatly bless. It isn't that we should not think to do kind to others and be aware not force ourselves or our views on to them, but so many times we do not take the stand that we know will be of great worth because we are too afraid of the reaction and how it will reflect on us.
How many times do we hold our tongues rather than say the important things that can affect positive change? I don't mean you just say whatever no holds barred. I only mean to say how often are we not saying and doing the things our hearts inspire us to in love and kindness?
There is a reason that you are there in that very moment and are impressed upon to share, give, and do what your heart is guiding you to. There is purpose in you being where you are, knowing what you know. You are an influence in this world for good or bad depending on what you decide to do at any given moment. As Marianne Williamson says, "You were born to make manifest the glory of God. It is not just in some of us; it is in all of us."
Your heart guides and directs you. Taking pause before acting to check and see that this is correct is good, but not to the degree that you stall, become paralyzed and do not act at all. You have been given this inspiration for a reason. You may be rusty but it is never too late to start listening and acting on what your heart knows to be true. The more you practice by acting on what your heart inspires you to do the more it will guide you and the clearer the messages it communicates will become.
You do no one favors by playing small. If you really care the way you say you do, you will realize that to truly love someone is to love them by sharing what you heart inspires you to say. It will be awkward and it can be uncomfortable but in the end you will be a greater blessing to those around you when you lovingly support them by helping them see their blind spots.
It will definitely take practice. There will be scrapes, bruises, and spills along the way. You will make messes that you will have to apologize for. But in the end it is worth it. Be patient with yourself as you learn to help without stepping on toes. Be understanding that just because you share doesn't mean they have to accept. Remember not to take it personal when they don't want your share. You are not the message just the messenger. Their not wanting it doesn't mean they don't want you; they were just not ready to accept it.
I encourage you to stop being timid and start acting. I do caution you to think before acting that you share in a loving and kind way. Just don't pause so long that you doubt and do not act. Say it as big as it is with all of the love and patience you can muster and I know that God will guide you to do all that is for the highest good of all involved. So go and make manifest the glory of God by being the gift to those around you one share at a time.
How many times do we hold our tongues rather than say the important things that can affect positive change? I don't mean you just say whatever no holds barred. I only mean to say how often are we not saying and doing the things our hearts inspire us to in love and kindness?
There is a reason that you are there in that very moment and are impressed upon to share, give, and do what your heart is guiding you to. There is purpose in you being where you are, knowing what you know. You are an influence in this world for good or bad depending on what you decide to do at any given moment. As Marianne Williamson says, "You were born to make manifest the glory of God. It is not just in some of us; it is in all of us."
Your heart guides and directs you. Taking pause before acting to check and see that this is correct is good, but not to the degree that you stall, become paralyzed and do not act at all. You have been given this inspiration for a reason. You may be rusty but it is never too late to start listening and acting on what your heart knows to be true. The more you practice by acting on what your heart inspires you to do the more it will guide you and the clearer the messages it communicates will become.
You do no one favors by playing small. If you really care the way you say you do, you will realize that to truly love someone is to love them by sharing what you heart inspires you to say. It will be awkward and it can be uncomfortable but in the end you will be a greater blessing to those around you when you lovingly support them by helping them see their blind spots.
It will definitely take practice. There will be scrapes, bruises, and spills along the way. You will make messes that you will have to apologize for. But in the end it is worth it. Be patient with yourself as you learn to help without stepping on toes. Be understanding that just because you share doesn't mean they have to accept. Remember not to take it personal when they don't want your share. You are not the message just the messenger. Their not wanting it doesn't mean they don't want you; they were just not ready to accept it.
I encourage you to stop being timid and start acting. I do caution you to think before acting that you share in a loving and kind way. Just don't pause so long that you doubt and do not act. Say it as big as it is with all of the love and patience you can muster and I know that God will guide you to do all that is for the highest good of all involved. So go and make manifest the glory of God by being the gift to those around you one share at a time.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Attitude of Gratitude
Today I was able to accept accountability for something that I had done. It was a humbling experience. Accepting responsibility for what I had done has helped me to keep a great friendship intact. I am very grateful that I didn't let this fester and ruin our relationship. It means everything to me.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Quotes to live by
"That's why I'd like to say a special word to the women in the audience. We are a powerful force and our nations greatest untapped resource. Together with men we can repair our injured society. With our faith and our determination we can build new homes, establish new communities, construct new cities, create a new nation..... Form a new world, a just world. A world dedicated to families and equality for all. A world of peace." ~ Coretta Scott King
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Let's ROAR!
I heard this song on the radio and thought it was just right for my current experiences with the negative self-dialogue and doubt I sometimes have.
Let's ROAR!
Roar by Katy Perry
I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath
Scared to rock the boat and make a mess
So I sat quietly, agreed politely
I guess that I forgot I had a choice
I let you push me past the breaking point
I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything
You held me down, but I got up
Already brushing off the dust
You hear my voice, you hear that sound
Like thunder gonna shake the ground
You held me down, but I got up
Get ready cause I've had enough
I see it all, I see it now
I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire
'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me ROAR
Louder, louder than a lion
'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me ROAR
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You're gonna hear me roar
Now I'm floating like a butterfly
Stinging like a bee I earned my stripes
I went from zero, to my own hero
You held me down, but I got up
Already brushing off the dust
You hear my voice, you hear that sound
Like thunder gonna shake the ground
You held me down, but I got up
Get ready 'cause I've had enough
I see it all, I see it now
I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire
'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me ROAR
Louder, louder than a lion
'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me ROAR
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You're gonna hear me ROAR
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You'll hear me ROAR
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You're gonna hear me ROAR...
ROAR-or, ROAR-or, ROAR-or, ROAR-or, ROAR-or
I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire
'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me ROAR
Louder, louder than a lion
'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me ROAR
Oh oh oh oh oh ohYou're gonna hear me ROAR
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You'll hear me ROAR
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You're gonna hear me ROAR...
Let's ROAR!
Roar by Katy Perry
I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath
Scared to rock the boat and make a mess
So I sat quietly, agreed politely
I guess that I forgot I had a choice
I let you push me past the breaking point
I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything
You held me down, but I got up
Already brushing off the dust
You hear my voice, you hear that sound
Like thunder gonna shake the ground
You held me down, but I got up
Get ready cause I've had enough
I see it all, I see it now
I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire
'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me ROAR
Louder, louder than a lion
'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me ROAR
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You're gonna hear me roar
Now I'm floating like a butterfly
Stinging like a bee I earned my stripes
I went from zero, to my own hero
You held me down, but I got up
Already brushing off the dust
You hear my voice, you hear that sound
Like thunder gonna shake the ground
You held me down, but I got up
Get ready 'cause I've had enough
I see it all, I see it now
I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire
'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me ROAR
Louder, louder than a lion
'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me ROAR
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You're gonna hear me ROAR
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You'll hear me ROAR
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You're gonna hear me ROAR...
ROAR-or, ROAR-or, ROAR-or, ROAR-or, ROAR-or
I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire
'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me ROAR
Louder, louder than a lion
'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me ROAR
Oh oh oh oh oh ohYou're gonna hear me ROAR
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You'll hear me ROAR
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You're gonna hear me ROAR...
Monday, September 9, 2013
Attitude of Gratitude
Today I am grateful that I learned not everything is about me. I discovered I actually have a bigger ego than I realized. I am a sensitive person. I now understand that it is a gift rather than a curse. But in the past it lead to a lot of hurt feelings and misunderstandings. I took everything that was said and done as a criticism, everything.
I am grateful that I don't have to live life from this perspective any more.
I am grateful that I don't have to live life from this perspective any more.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Quotes to live by
"You are the future....Doing good seems like an abstraction when bills have to be paid and kids gotten off to school. But the impulse to help better the lives of your fellow man should never be ignored or set aside. The fact is in helping others we do help ourselves. That's why our fight to give women a voice, the poor opportunity, and children a peaceful world; their success, their empowerment vastly improves my world. We're all connected." ~ Coretta Scott King
Thursday, September 5, 2013
What good is asking?
What good is asking when I am so fixated on what I want that I can't hear that the answer is something better?
How often do I kneel in prayer asking for help when in reality I am not asking; I am telling or dictating?
How do you talk to an all knowing being as though they know nothing and you know everything?
If I have all the answers, why am I even bothering to ask for help?
If I am asking; maybe I should be still, be quiet and actually listen to see what the answer really is.
Who knows, maybe being willing to listen and do what I am asked might work out better than giving orders and then storming around because it wasn't really what I wanted after all.
How often do I kneel in prayer asking for help when in reality I am not asking; I am telling or dictating?
How do you talk to an all knowing being as though they know nothing and you know everything?
If I have all the answers, why am I even bothering to ask for help?
If I am asking; maybe I should be still, be quiet and actually listen to see what the answer really is.
Who knows, maybe being willing to listen and do what I am asked might work out better than giving orders and then storming around because it wasn't really what I wanted after all.
Monday, September 2, 2013
Attitude of Gratitude
Today I am grateful that my children are in school. Yeah! Summer vacations are wonderful and I enjoy being with my children but sometimes I need a mommy break.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Quotes to live by
"It's not about what we have and what we don't, it's about who's in our life and who isn't." ~ The Story Trek
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