According To Who's Standards?

Last week a group of us listed some of the general things in life that we need prayer for. One of the things I listed was “control issues”. There was a lot of laughter after this request, but I felt it was important. We all have this issue right? . Mine just tends to complicate my life unnecessarily.

A couple of days later someone asked me how it was going with the “issue”. I said that it is still a work in progress but think it is going quite well. He asked according towho’s standards?  Ha ha!  Interesting question.

Someone I know was going through a tough time and didn’t feel that things were going to get better. Don’t we all feel like that sometimes? It is then that we must remember things will be ok even if it doesn’t seem like it at the moment. How can we know this?  The question made me think about the above statement. According to our own standards or ideas of what ok means we have no assurance that things will actually turn out the way we want them to. But according to God’s idea of what should happen in our lives, things will always turn out for the best. Will it be the easiest way? We don’t know the answer to that.  Will it be the best way? Most definitely!!  Rest assured knowing that God is in control.

He always wants to bless us and want what is best for us. After all we are His children and He loves us!!!

Inner Peace

Inner peace is an integral part of our daily lives. 

Have you ever experienced a feeling of uneasiness or irritation and don’t really know why? Or maybe you do know why. Getting that “gut” feeling (or like the ladies sometimes call it a sixth sense), is the Holy Spirit making you aware that something is not ok.

What if we have no idea what is causing it?  Like a friend reminded me the other the day, the best suggestion would be to removeyourself from that situation if possible. That is where discernment comes in.  Sometimes the solution might be as easy as just getting out of that “presence” that you feel. If you do know the reason why you are feeling like this don’t let it get a grip on you that will make it very difficult to let go off, sort it out as soon as possible.

Living life with a constant feeling of unsettledness is not pleasant, healthy or enriching. If something in life doesn’t allow you to grow as a person or spiritually then it is not from God and definitely not good for you.

Wish all of you peace and tons of love, hugs and kisses to fill your weekend

The Noise Of Busyness

The noise of busyness can drown out the voice of God

In the time that we said aside for God, we talk to Him. But most importantly we should be listening to Him.

Ever tried talking to someone when they are preoccupied with something else while they are supposed to be listening to what you are trying to say to them? Sure they might HEAR you talking but are they really listening? Very frustrating right? What is the distraction? Noise?

Jesus repeatedly warned against any time when people are unaware to the danger of going about life without stopping long enough to listen to God.

Life is hectic, busy and sometimes just plain messy. In between all of this we not only need to, buthave to find time to be with God. Just sit and listen to what our Father has to say. The responsibility rests on our shoulders, no one else’s.

Each one of us are different and will feel God's presence in different places and different ways. Make sure to listen to that. 

 

Noah was a man who took the time to listen to what God had to say through all the disarray around him. He also followed where God lead him.

There is something I read in one of Stormie Omartian’s books titled, The Power of Prayer Through the Bible. “The picture that develops out of the phrase "walked with God" reveals a person who depended on God's faithfulness across the decades, through times of doubt, against the corruption that surrounded him”. We can only walk with God if we seek His presence. The only way we can ask Him: “Help me to hearYour voice speaking to my heart so that I will always follow Your leading”. And the only way to hear His voice is to become still.

Make it a priority in your life to find out where God wants you to feel His presence in a sense that fills you with His peace, love and comfort. Don't lose sight of God in hectic world we live in today.

Who Do You See

How do you decide who you spend your time with? Who you surround yourself with?

There are certain people in life that you don't really get the option of spending time with. They are a part of your daily life irrespective of whether you choose them to be or not. It could be co-workers, friends of friends, family and so forth.

Then there are those people that you let into your life out of free will. Why do you choose them? What makes them different than the rest of the world out there?

The question I ask myself when I look at them is: "Who do I see?" Can I grow with the person? Spiritually and as a person. Do they break me down or build me up? Make me feel better about myself? Do I feel at home? Do I really WANT to spend time with them or just feel obliged out of courtesy. Do I see myself in them?

If my answer to the above questions are no, then I don’t see the point of becoming friends with them. Of letting them into my life, close to my heart. They can be acquaintances if need be or when necessary but we don’t have to be best friends with everybody we know. Our time in life is very limited and valuable. Why not spend it with the people you want?

Next time you really want to invest in friendship why not ask yourself “who do I see when I look at them”?

Your Life Raft

Who is the life raft in your life?

What do we do when we are troubled in life? When it feels like things are not going in the direction we feel they should be going in? Down instead of up or as the saying goes, south instead of north.

If we are being honest about this now then I will have to admit that the first thing I do is definitely not being all positive about it. Sure we know that God lets’ all things work out for good for those who believe and trust in Him. But what if we choose to do our own thing and somehow manage to mess things up? I suppose we don’t always have a clear answer to all of these things.

In times like these it helps to talk about it, get it off your chest. Talk to a friend, a family member. A while back I told someone that just having someone there who lets you talk about how you feel, really listens, gives you a hug and tell you everything is going to be ok is a life raft. Even if you don’t know at that point if things are going to be ok according to what you want them to turn out to be. It might be a temporary life raft but it does make a difference. Isn’t that what we are here for? To be there for other people when they need us?

But what if you truly feel alone in all of this? Like there is no one else that understands how you feel. Really knows what you are going through. Then what are we supposed to do? Just let it go and hope for the best? Easier said than done. One of the things I believe that helps is being honest about how you feel and facing those feelings. If you need to cry, then cry. If you need to do something about it and you know what it is, then do it. If you don’t know then the best thing is to pray. Ask God to help you. Help you deal with whatever it is you are going through. Tell Him what you feel and think. You don’t have to hold back here. He will listen to anything and everything you have to say. Ask Him to help you with what it is that you need to work out, decide about. He won’t forsake us if we need His help and ask for it. He is the one constant thing in life that we can always count on.

Hang in there when the going gets tough, even if you don’t feel like it!!!!! Though you might not feel ok right now, know that you will always be ok in time.

Just Enough

I wrote this thought on Monday and wanted to send it out yesterday but never got round to do the finishing touches. Things got a bit hectic here at work. Since I have quite a few drafts I thought I would send this one out today as well.

How do we live from day to day? Happy times are easy to get through, but what about those tough days? The days when you just need that extra bit of patience, faith, hope and so many more, to get by?

I believe that we are all provided with as much of all of this as we need for that specific moment. Just enough to live from day to day. To handle one thing at a time. Thinking too far ahead might just get us all worked up andworried J. Doubting whether we will we be able to handle it. I don’t mean don’t plan ahead, just don’t worry too much about those things that are planned!!! Especially the things we don’t have any control over.

I remember talking to a friend the other day about a scripture in 1 Corinthians 13: “and now faith, hope and love remains and the most important of these is love”. Then I asked her which one is the most important. Of course she replied “love”. No, I said, faith, hope and love. That was what I needed to believe at that precise moment. Whatever is essential to each one of us there and then, God will provide.

So, why don’t we try not to worry too much about whether things will turn out for the better? Hold on and give the control over to God, even it is very difficult sometimes. It is when we try to be in charge of things that they turn out to be very messy.

Brace Or Embrace

Simply have to share something before I carry on with the actual thought I want to share. Earlier this week I sent out and e-mail titled “Taking Risks”. Then an hour or so later the above mentioned thought popped into my mind. Well let me put it this way, I have had the heading for a while but didn’t know what to write about it. Then on that morning the words just started flowing. When the words get wings I simply have to let them fly! It was only after a few paragraphs that I realised that the two thoughts were exactly the opposite!!!! One saying, take a risk the other one should I brace myself? Had such a laugh about it, immediately stopped writing and carried on with something else. Just goes to show how our thoughts jump around from one thing to another, depending on how we feel at that moment. To the men out there, I am sure changing your mind from time to time is not just a womanthing J.

It is amazing how grammar can give two words that are almost identical, adding or removing one or two letters, a totally different meaning. 

How do we know in life when to embrace something or brace yourself and hold back a bit?

Had to really think about this one for a bit on Monday morning. After some recent events I now understand it much better. On Monday I wouldn’t have been able to really say how experience led me to writing about the above subject. Isn’t it interesting to realize when you go through things how it changes your perspective completely? How you can actually relate to it? Understand it a lot better.

I do know that it is something that each one of us should be asking ourselves. It is not a question that anyone can give you the answer to or decide on your behalf. There are certain things in life that we have to figure out ourselves. Take some time to sit back and get perspective on it. This is, as I have mentioned numerous times before, where discernment comes in. There are definitely times when we “feel” we “want” to do something but we “know” that we “have” to go in the opposite direction.

A friend once explained it to me this way. The example of Abraham was used. God asked him to sacrifice his sonIsac. While walking up the mountain he asked God time and time againif it was the right thing to do and when God kept on saying yes, even though it was an extremely difficult thing for him to do, knowing that he will suffer a GREAT loss, he still obeyed God. Just when he was ready to sacrifice his son, God provided a way out!!!!

God knows what is in our hearts. If we stay loyal when He tells us to go in a specific direction (even if we feel that it might be at a tremendous loss on our side and we are scared) He will stay true to His word. He will ALWAYS step in at the right time. Do what is best for us. It sure takes a whole lot of faith when this happens. Psalm 25:21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.

Don’t underestimate the power of faith and loyalty.

Today I would just like to wish all of you strength to always step into faith when things really get tough and you are not sure which direction to go in. Ask God and trust that the answer He gives you is the right one.