Author: terriplace89

If you read my last post, you may have noticed that I cited a common saying, “Actions speak louder than words”.  But since then, I read something online that added to that saying, “But intentions speak louder than actions”.  That additional statement caught my eye, but I wasn’t sure what I thought about it.  So, I set out to do a little research in order to make an informed opinion.    

My first step was to make sure I understood the word, ‘intentions’, which comes from the root word ‘intent’.  According to my friend, Merriam Webster, ‘intent’ means:  “a usually clearly formulated or planned intention, aim; the act or fact of intending, design or purpose; the state of mind with which an act is done, volition.”  Intent is a noun or can be an adjective. 

Intention, also a noun, is defined as, “what one intends to do or bring about; a determination to act in a certain way, resolve.”

I noticed in these definitions that the word ‘intend’ is used, indicating that intend is different from intent.  So, what does ‘intend’ mean?  MW says: “to have in mind as a purpose or goal, a plan; to design for a specified use or future; signify, mean; to refer to; to direct the mind on.”  Intend is a verb.  Similar meaning to intent, but not identical. 

Furthermore, I found a research site called, “The Content Authority”.  The following is an excerpt from their explanation of intent and intend:

“Focusing on discussing the difference between “intend” and “intent,” it’s essential to understand the subtle nuances that set these two words apart. While they may seem similar at first glance, each carries its own distinct meaning and usage in the English language.

In simple terms, “intend” is a verb that refers to having a specific purpose or plan in mind. It conveys the idea of consciously aiming or directing one’s thoughts or actions towards a particular outcome. On the other hand, “intent” is a noun that represents a person’s state of mind or purpose. It signifies the determination or resolve behind someone’s actions or decisions.

With this in mind, it becomes clear that “intend” is the appropriate word to use when discussing actions or plans, while “intent” is more suitable for describing someone’s mindset or motivation.

When we speak of “intend,” we are referring to the act of having a specific purpose or goal in mind. It is the conscious decision to direct one’s thoughts, actions, or plans towards achieving a particular outcome. In simpler terms, intending involves setting an objective or intention and actively working towards it.

It is important to note that “intend” implies a level of conscious awareness and purposefulness. It conveys a sense of intentionality, where the individual is fully aware of their actions and the desired outcome they seek to achieve.

In contrast, “intent” refers to the underlying motivation or purpose behind an action or decision. It delves deeper into the psychological or emotional aspect of why someone is driven to do something. While “intend” focuses on the conscious planning and goal setting, “intent” explores the underlying desires, aspirations, or motivations that drive those intentions.

To summarize, while “intend” focuses on the conscious planning and purposeful actions, “intent” delves into the deeper motivations and emotional drivers behind those intentions.”

Now, you may be thinking, “TMI, Terri!”  And I get that, but I was just so excited to learn all this.  I love being able to understand something that wasn’t completely clear to me before, especially when it comes to words. I had always thought of intend and intent as synonymous, just one was a verb and the other a noun.    Learning about their differences was exciting!

With all that being said, I can see why someone might say that ‘intentions speak louder than actions’ because the motivation behind our actions is usually a very important component.  But beware, good intentions do not  excuse acting haphazardly or behaving badly. 

Consider these examples:  My husband’s intention was to bless me with a birthday gift.  But he picked out a frumpy dress.  When I opened the present, I was happy even though the dress was not my style, because his intention was so sweet.  Now, for another birthday years later, my husband intended to get me a present.  But he put it off and ran out of time.  So, at the last minute, he slipped me some cash.  I was not as happy in that instance because of his lack of effort for my birthday.  (I did keep the cash, though!!)  You could look at the first example and say that the intention spoke louder than the action.  And I would agree.  However…

Although I agree that intentions are very important, neither intending nor having intentions mean much without a corresponding action.  In the first example, my husband’s intention did speak louder than his action.  But what if he had taken no action?  Would his intention have mattered as much?  In the second example, what he intended was overshadowed by his lack of acting on it. Without an action, intending and intention can be mute.  Both could remain unrecognized or possibly perceived negatively.

I knew a wonderful Christian lady who told me that she fancied herself as a very caring and considerate person: until one day she realized that she wasn’t what she thought she was.  She based her assessment of herself on knowing that in her mind, she always thought about people and prayed for them.  When she was out shopping, she would see things in the store and think, ‘so and so’ would really like that.  She would remember people on their birthdays by saying a special prayer for them.  And then came her epiphany!  She had not demonstrated any of those caring thoughts.  She didn’t let anyone know that she was praying for them.  She never bought any of those things she thought someone would like.  And she didn’t reach out to anyone to wish them a happy birthday or send them a card.  So, all her good intentions went unnoticed by those for whom they were intended.  Her intentions had no voice.

You might argue that God sees our intentions.  And that is true.  But just having good intentions is not fulfilling God’s instructions to us.  For example, it is stated in 1 John 3:23,  “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.”  (There are 18 more verses in the New Testament that specifically tell us to love one another.)  To truly love one another requires action on our part, not merely intentions.  I’m not saying that our intentions aren’t important.  They are!  They are the underlying motivation for our actions.  But people will see and judge our actions regardless of our intentions.        

Our words can convey our intentions.  But telling someone about your intentions does not always finish the job.  How often have you heard someone say, “I meant to…”?  You have probably said it yourself.  This statement often accompanies some sort of apology.  Completion of your intentions comes from the corresponding action.  Meaning to do something without doing it doesn’t get the job done.

Words are our most precious form of communication, but actions are our most thorough.  Demonstrating our intentions gives them validity.  In certain circumstances, intentions can be appreciated more than actions, if the action somehow falls short.  But most of the time, it is someone’s actions that make the difference.  And when our intentions line up with God’s Word, our actions will always be profitable.  So, my conclusion is that intentions are significant and valuable, but without words or actions they don’t speak.  And therefore, it seems to me that actions speak the loudest. 

Note to my readers:  An interesting verse to consider on the topic of intentions is Hebrews 4:12.  Thanks for reading!

God is perfect.  Everything God says is perfect.  Everything God does is perfect.  Everything God created is perfect.  This begs the question, what happened?  Because it is obvious that the world is not perfect. 

Enter Lucifer.  He was the angel of light.  He was God’s top dog.  But he decided that wasn’t good enough for him and that he wanted to BE God.  So, he rallied a bunch of angels and went to war against The One True God and His angels.  The result of that battle left God’s creation in total disarray, and Lucifer and his angels banished from heaven.  In the Bible, the book of Genesis chronicles what God did to set the heaven and the earth back in order.  And it was perfect again until the serpent, which is what Lucifer had become, tricked Eve and caused Adam and Eve to sin against God.  That act introduced evil into the world, which is still present with us today.  And that evil brought with it, corruption, which has affected every natural thing.

That quick and very abbreviated history lesson serves as an introduction to what I really want to talk about, and that is LOVE. 

Love is a popular topic of conversation in February because of Valentines Day.  And Valentines Day is an example of the worldly idea of love.  And the worldly idea of love is less than perfect because the world has become less than perfect. 

Valentines Day has been a part of our lives since childhood.  When I was young, we took self-decorated boxes to school to receive all the valentines we would get from our classmates.  There would be a party with homemade cupcakes or cookies and the anticipation that we might get a special Valentine from that certain someone.   As we grew, Valentines Day continued to be a factor in our concept of what love should be.  In high school, couples who were ‘going steady’ were expected to share some kind of demonstration of their love on Valentines Day.  And even into adulthood, many couples still recognize the holiday in their relationship. 

I have nothing against Valentines Day.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with young people or adults wanting to recognize the occasion as an opportunity to celebrate their affection for one another.  More power to them!  But, just as in elementary school when we didn’t get that one special card in our box, Valentines Day can also open the door for disappointment or resentment even in adulthood. 

And why is that?  Because the worldly concept of love is corrupted.  The evil influences in the world have taken the perfect quality of God’s love and twisted it into a less than perfect copy.  The world took something marvelous like love and weaved in a little corruption, so that it could break your heart.

Valentines Day offers us an opportunity to declare our love one for another, and that’s a good thing.  But it also allows the world to dictate the standard of what that declaration should be.  For example, flowers are a standard Valentines Day gift.  What if I don’t receive flowers?  Do I get disappointed or angry?  If so, it would be because that worldly standard was not met.  And my response might even be to withhold my affection.  Love should not be rationed because of hurt feelings. 

In addition, we may adhere to a worldly definition of romance.  There is nothing wrong with romance.  Most women adore it.  But are we comparing our romance to some worldly standard?  Are we expecting our mates to act according to a story we read or a movie we watched?  The world is FULL of romantic stories.  But those stories can paint an unrealist picture of love that may not be present in our lives.  And because of that, we may become disheartened.  We may set a standard in our own minds that cannot be achieved, leaving us frustrated and unhappy.

The romantic notions of love are not necessarily corrupt in themselves.  But they become corrupted when they are imposed on someone as the only acceptable evidence of love.  Plus, the worldly standard of love could be unattainable, and therefore result in disappointment or failure.  That is how the corruption of the world is designed to work in all categories of life. 

I’m all for Valentines Day and all the romance you can muster, if it is a good fit for you and your mate.  But I am opposed to anyone being expected to conform to a worldly standard that oppresses them.  I put the worldly standard for love in the same category as the worldly standard for beauty.  Society promulgates the image of what should be considered beautiful.  Often it is an unrealistic standard.  Imagine how unhappy I would be if my husband wanted to hold me to the worldly standard of beauty, or vice versa!  Trying to measure up to that standard or just about any worldly standard is usually a losing proposition. 

Now to be clear, just because we repudiate the worldly standard of love, we still need demonstrate our affection for each other.  How could we claim to love someone and provide no evidence to substantiate our claim?  That would be like telling someone that you make the best chocolate chip cookies in the world, but never baking them to be tasted.  Your claim might be true, but without evidence, it’s just hollow words.  Actions speak louder than words! 

So, what is the solution?

Enter God’s love!

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

In one simple verse, God sets the true standard for love.  Love is giving.  Love is unselfish.  Love is putting someone else before yourself.  God demonstrated His love by giving us His only begotten son so that we would not perish but have everlasting life.  When we were at our worst, God gave us His best. Because He so loved us, we love Him and can show that love to others. 

Jesus Christ demonstrated God’s love and left us an example to follow.  He said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”  (John 15:13)  That statement shows the great love that Jesus Christ had in his willingness to do whatever was needed to accomplish our salvation.  He was willing to give everything, even his life for us because he loved that much. 

Ler’s love one another according to God’s perfect standard rather than some worldly ideas that can leave us brokenhearted.  Celebrate Valentines Day if you want to, send cards, buy flowers, eat chocolates, be romantic.  But if Valentines Day activities are not your cup of tea, no worries.  Whatever you choose, remember, the most important thing is to give. 

Note to my readers:  Happy Valentines Day.  I sure love you!  Thanks for reading! 

In this part of Florida, it gets cold in January.  We can even have a freeze on occasion.  But normal January temperatures around here hover in the 50’s and 60’s.  Now I know to  northerners, that is NOT cold, and I would agree, having lived most of my life in the north.  But when you live in Florida, 50 degrees is COLD!  And if you are a native Floridian when the temperatures drop below 50, chances are you have on your winter coat, hat, scarf, gloves, and boots! 

The temperature disparity between the north and south is often a source of friendly banter.  Southerners like to tout their good fortune of having mild winter weather compared to the bitter cold and snow up north.  While northerners snicker at Floridians for wearing winter coats in temperatures that they would be wearing shorts and T-shirts.  And in the blistering swelter of Florida summers, the northerners like to tout their mild summertime temperatures.  We Floridians do not dispute that point, but we take full advantage of the ocean, lakes and swimming pools that are plentiful down here to mitigate the extreme summer  temperatures.  And we find that a much more pleasant solution than all the things the northerners must to do combat the extreme winter conditions they face.  But whether you live in the north or the south, both have seasons that make staying indoors, a desirable option. 

All of this is to say that people are adaptable.  When we move from the north to the south, or vice versa, our bodies eventually acclimate.  Adaptability is an innate quality of mankind.  People’s genetic make-up allows them to adapt to their habitat.  That’s why people can live in the deserts or the artic circle.

We understand and appreciate physical adaptability. But there is also mental adaptability.  We can find ourselves in new or different situations that we must adapt to in our minds.  And just as our bodies acclimate to new surroundings, our minds can adapt to new situations.   

Adapting in its simplest description is the ability to change.  Adapting in our minds is more than just acclimatizing like our bodies do; it involves purposeful changing.  Being adaptable in our minds is challenging ourselves, adjusting our thoughts, and working to establish a successful outcome.  Mental adaptability includes things like harmonizing, accommodating, flexibility and communication in certain situations.  And determination, stamina, and fortitude in others.  In every situation it requires patience.  It is becoming who we want or need to become.  Adapting in our minds is not ‘gritting our teeth and bearing it’, nor is it ‘just going with the flow’. It is NOT accepting a negative situation as permanent.  Adapting is being willing to change our minds and make the necessary adjustments in our actions to achieve the desired result. It is learning to deal successfully with the circumstances we cannot change, and having the gumption and patience to change the ones that we can.  Adapting can involve compromising, but never on our convictions. 

There are many new situations in life that require our minds to adapt.  A prime example would be marriage.  Two separate and distinct individuals make a commitment to live together as one flesh.  They must learn to adapt to one another, and that involves all the things listed above.  Having children is a life changing event that requires a lot of adapting.  Even a getting puppy entails being adaptable.  Getting a new job, moving, or other lifestyle changes usually require some kind of mental adaptability. 

Physically adapting is a response of our bodies to our environment.  If my body would not have physically adapted to Florida temperatures, I would be miserable every summer.  But it is acclimating, so the heat is not as oppressive to me as it was.  (It’s still HOT, but it doesn’t bother me as much as it did at first.)  Mentally adapting is a choice we make.  What if I had refused to mentally adapt to my husband or he to me?  We wouldn’t have a very happy marriage!

Sometimes we are faced with negative or even devastating situations.  How do we mentally adapt to those?  Firstly, by not giving up nor giving in!  Adapting to those kinds of situations in our minds is choosing to fight to achieve a successful outcome.  It is pursuing the actions we can take to receive our deliverance.  It is overcoming by becoming who we want or need to be.  It is being patient.  It is not accepting the situation as permanent nor is it allowing the situation to rob us of our convictions.

I know a beautiful young lady who was paralyzed in a freak accident in college.  Right after the accident, she could not breath on her own, eat, feel or move any part of her body from the neck down.  But she did not give in to that situation.  She worked very hard toward her recovery, believing God every step of the way.  Despite what the circumstance looked like to the 5 senses; she remained undaunted in her efforts to get better.  And God has provided her with remarkable healing that has far exceeded many doctors’ expectations.  She is happily married, has earned a master’s degree in English, and is working on her PhD. These, among many other impressive accomplishments, have paved the way toward her desired outcome.   She adapted to her situation by NOT giving up, but by pushing forward with God’s help to progress her improvement.  And by keeping her confidence in God’s ability, she expects to receive complete deliverance from her injury and is well on her way to getting it.  She is an inspiration to all!

So, the conclusion of the matter is…  God designed human beings to be adaptable (able to change) so that we can grow and thrive.  Both our physical bodies and our minds react and adapt to what they are fed.  There are multi-million-dollar industries that cater to what we feed our bodies.  But what about our minds?  We must consider their food as well.  Just like the food we put in our mouths gets processed to provide nourishment to our bodies; the food we put in our minds gets processed to provide nourishment to our hearts (the innermost part of our mind – the seat of our unwavering convictions).  Now to the best part!  When we feed the truth of God’s Word to our minds, that truth nourishes our hearts.  Then the truth in our hearts directs our minds, and our minds direct our bodies.  So, bottom line – our minds and  bodies will adapt to the truth we know! 

John 17:17  – Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

God gave us free will.  Which means that our minds can adapt, but it is up to us whether they do or not.  People accomplish many things by the determination of their will.  But the truly remarkable accomplishments entail trusting God and the power of His might.  With God’s help, we don’t merely get by, we flourish! 

Note to my readers:  We can face any situation without fear, because with God’s help, we can adapt!  Thanks for reading. 

When our kids were young and we would play games, if one of their efforts failed, they would want a ‘do-over’.  They did not want to accept their wrong answer or bad move, and they thought they should get a chance to make it right.  Even as grownups, people often want an opportunity for a do-over when they are faced with challenges. 

My Christmas dinner this year didn’t turn out well.  It seemed that everything I made was overcooked.  My ham was tough, my rolls were burned, my veggies were mushy, and cheesecake was dry.  None of it was inedible, but it wasn’t my best effort.  I wanted a do-over! 

And that got me thinking…  What is a do-over, really?  Well, Merriam Webster says that a do-over is, “a new attempt or opportunity to do something after a previous attempt has been unsuccessful or unsatisfactory.”  

Kids may experience do-overs in school.  They could have chances to fix an answer or enhance an assignment before it gets a final grade.  And all through school and even in the workplace, submitting a “first draft” for review is common practice.  Doing a second, third or fourth draft is basically a do-over.   Perhaps a child (or adult) is learning to play a musical instrument or a physical sport.  Those are full of do-overs – they’re called “practice”. 

Life changes can be do-overs.  Life changes can happen by choice or by circumstance.  Either way, big changes offer chances for big do-overs.  Life changes can be things like moving, getting a new job, getting married or divorced, or having a baby.  A life change by choice is a decision we make.  We want a change in our life, so we choose a do-over.   A life change by circumstance is a change that is forced on us and we must determine how we are doing to deal with it, which generally means a do-over.  In either situation , a do-over can have unexpectedly wonderful results. 

There is yet another kind of do-over that affects both children and adults alike, and that is TIME.  We can consider each new day as a do-over.   Have you ever laid down at night after a really crummy day and thought, ‘Boy, I’m glad this day is over’?  Waking up in the morning qualifies as a do-over.  It is a chance to have a better day – a chance to try again.  A new day can’t change what happened yesterday, but it can give us a chance to move on, get a start fresh, regroup, or change our minds.  It automatically provides a new opportunity. 

People often celebrate the new year with the expectation that the new year will fix all the ills of the last year.  That is basically making the new year, one great big do-over!  Now, I’ve seen a lot of new years in my life.  And some of them were better than the previous year, and some were not.  But I still look at each new year as a new beginning – a do-over.  Why not have positive expectations?    

Any mistakes can have do-overs.  I can’t go back and redo our Christmas dinner, but I could make another dinner that is cooked properly.  Or I can make Christmas dinner again next year.  I can learn from what went wrong so I don’t do it again.  Any of those would be do-overs. 

We cannot change the past by a do-over, but we CAN do things today to make things of the past better, or sometimes even go away.  For example, if we say something hurtful, a sincere apology can be a do-over.  An apology cannot un-speak the words, but it can pull a cover over them.  And should the recipient accept the apology, those words can be forgotten. But unfortunately, they cannot be unspoken.   

We can think of do-overs as opportunities to learn, or chances to do better next time.  We can consider do-overs as steppingstones for growth, because really, some of our greatest learning and growing come from fixing our mistakes. 

Our lives are full of opportunities for do-overs, but there is one DO-OVER we cannot ignore.  There is one, “new attempt or opportunity to do something after a previous attempt has been unsuccessful or unsatisfactory”, which is essential for a victorious life.  And that do-over is getting born again.  It is the ultimate do-over!  It changes everything!  It offers us the best avenue for success because it provides us with God’s solutions.  It puts our past attempts where they belong – in the past.  And it gives us a brand-new life full of promises and rewards.  It gives us access to God’s heart and His guidance.  It allows God to have a relationship with us!  And it gives us eternal life!!  What more important do-over could we do than this? 

Romans 10:9 – 10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

When we are saved, we have God’s power and authority to live a more than abundant life.  And we can live that life free from satan’s deception and oppression because Jesus Christ paid the full price to secure our redemption and reconciliation to God. 

Galatians 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Even though we have this marvelous new more-than-abundant life, we still subsist in this world with all its trials and temptations.  We still make mistakes, and sometimes bad things happen.  But we can always seize the opportunity for a do-over, and with God on our side, we can claim that “the future is as bright as the promised of God.”

Note to my readers:  Enjoy all your do-overs.  And if you don’t like your do-over, do-it-over again!  Thanks for reading! 

Tis the season to be jolly!  That familiar song lyric speaks of this time of year.  This is the holiday season!  Christmas and the other religious celebrations at this time of year are meant to be joyous occasions.  And they are quickly followed by the New Year’s Eve celebration, which is traditionally an uproarious good time. 

In general, people like to celebrate.  They want to be happy!  Even the ancients had designated holidays.  There were celebrations for harvest, for planting, for the cycle of the moon, for the solstices, for commemorating notable events, and various other reasons.  Although some of these were designed as solemn remembrances, most were meant to be festive occasions.  It is the same today.  In our country we have solemn holidays that honor fallen heroes, but most of our holidays are celebrations of life.

Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus.  Although, December 25^th is not the accurate date of his birth, we can rejoice that people in our country are still celebrating Jesus Christ when it isn’t necessarily the popular thing to do in the current climate.  

One of my favorite sections of scripture is in the Gospel of Luke regarding Jesus’s birth.

Luke 2:4–14  (KJV)  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)  To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.  And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.  And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Talk about a momentous occasion worthy of celebration!  The whole world changed that night.  The angel told the shepherds, “I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”  We are included in “all people”! GREAT JOY!  That’s an understatement!  We are still experiencing that great joy over two-thousand years later! 

The great thing about this Biblical joy is that it not dependent on our surroundings.  In fact, we can have this joy even if we’re in a bad state.  The great joy of that night in Bethlehem is a spiritual joy that we have now as Christians.  Jesus Christ was born and lived his life perfectly, then he was crucified, resurrected, and ascended into heaven. Because of all that, we have the gift of holy spirit in us and all the rights and privileges of being a son of God.  There is nothing in this world that can change that or take it away from us.  We are going to heaven and all hell cannot stop us!  When we remember this, we have great joy!  And rightfully so!  If our surroundings are crummy or we’re sick or broken-hearted, we still can have joy because the greatness of what we have in Christ surmounts whatever we’re facing in the world.

The Bible also says that God has given us the victory. (1 Corinthians 15:57)  If God gave it to us, it is OURS.  We have the victory now.  We may not see it in every situation we face, but in the end, when all is said and done, our victory is guaranteed!  Knowing that gives us joy regardless of what our eyes see. 

The proclamation that the angel spoke that night in Bethlehem still resounds in our hearts today.  We rejoice because we have a Savior who was born, lived, died and was raised from the dead, who ever lives to make intercession for us. 

So, claim the joy that has been given to you!  Enjoy this time of year with all its spectacle.  Enjoy spending time with your loved ones.  Enjoy the quiet peace of the night before Christmas and the excitement of Christmas morning.  Enjoy the cookies and dinners with all the fixings.  Enjoy giving gifts and receiving them.  But most of all, enjoy the love that your Heavenly Father has shown you by giving you His only begotten son so that you can be saved and have a life in His presence and with Christ Jesus that lasts FOREVER! 

Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays.  Prosperous New Year.  God’s Blessings!  REJOICE!

Note to my readers:  No matter what presents you receive this holiday, don’t forget to open your gift of joy.  Thanks for reading! 

I apologize for the delay of my post, but family matters have filled my time and my mind for the last few weeks.  When I did have time, my mind was a flurry.  When my mind would settle, my time was spoken for.  And in the midst of all that, I seemed to have had writer’s block.  I could not decide what to write because so many things were going on in my mind. 

Then, I thought about a patchwork quilt. 

Although quilts date back to ancient times, we are probably more familiar with the early American examples.  At that time in our country, fabric was ver expensive and hard to come by. Most of it had to be imported from Europe.  So, the industrious pioneers utilized every scrap of that precious fabric to the best of their ability.  And without the modern convenience of central heating systems in their homes, they needed  the warmth of many blankets.  So, patchwork quilts were born out of necessity, but quickly grew into colorful expressions of art. 

I found this interesting…  Loosely quoted from the Encyclopedia Britannica:

In the early 19^th century, American produced cotton became readily available in an array of prints and colors, thus enabling more pieced and appliqued quilts to be affordable.  The invention of the sewing machine in the 1840s radically changed household sewing. Thanks to the pay-by-installment plan popularized by I.M. Singer, many had access to a treadle machine that quickly finished essential sewing, leaving time for more leisurely pursuits like embroidery and quilting.

I tell you all this because I think of our minds like patchwork quilts.  We take a thought from here, one from there, and another from somewhere else and sew them together to make a quilt that is exclusively ours. We determine what thoughts to put into our quilts and the overall design that we want our quilts to be.  There are not only unique and special thoughts in our quilts, but also many common useful ones.  Vibrantly colorful and solidly strong thoughts make the best quilts.  And ragged ugly thoughts make dreadful ones.  If a thought in our quilt gets worn out, we can replace it with a better one. We are thrifty to not waste thoughts, and careful to be good stewards of our quilts.  The finished product is an incomparable mix of the memories that left impressions on our hearts and the ideas that help move us forward.  And all the thoughts together make one wonderfully unique and beautiful expression of our lives.  Thoughts upon thoughts, our quilts are constantly growing and changing. 

Colors and patterns vary from quilt to quilt, and some quilts might even clash with ours.  A quilt may be simple, and another complicated.  Some quilts are made with bright bold colors, while others have subtle shades.  Some quilts are organized, and others may be scatterbrained.  We may enjoy another’s quilt or find someone’s quilt annoying.  Regardless of what we might think of anyone’s quilt, we are only responsible for our own.  That is not to say that we cannot help someone with their quilt, but in the end, every quilt can only be maintained by its owner. 

If you have ever quilted or known a quilter, you know that the particular fabrics used in a quilt can make or break the finished product.  If substandard fabric is used, the quilt will fade or tear, or wear out too quickly.  If the fabric’s colors and patterns don’t mesh, the result is not pleasing.  No quilter would choose such fabrics.  Furthermore, making a quilt is a meticulous labor of love.  Considering all the work involved, a quilter pays attention to details to facilitate the most desirable outcome.  If care is not taken to sew the fabrics together correctly, the quilt can easily fall apart.  If the workmanship is shoddy, it will be readily apparent. 

The same is true of our mind’s quilts.  We cannot allow substandard thoughts into our quilt.  They will undermine its quality.  We must make every effort to put the best and most congruent thoughts in our minds so that our quilt is the most functional and beautiful.  We cannot ‘cut corners’ or take shortcuts when assembling our mind’s quilt.  We must keep the desired finished product in the forefront of our thinking and work diligently toward that goal. 

Outstanding quilts contain beautiful fabrics, intricate details, and spectacular workmanship.  I’ve seen quilts with a million tiny pieces put together with mind-boggling precision.  I’ve seen ones with amazingly intricate stitching and others with the most eye-catching fabrics.  And I admired all of them, not only for their beauty, but also for all the skill that went into making them. 

Having outstanding mind quilts, requires using beautiful thoughts, intricate attention to detail, and our best workmanship.  When we have those things, the finished product will be pleasing, not only to ourselves, but also to all who know us.  The quality of our labor will be easily recognizable. 

The most beautiful and profitable thoughts that we can put into our mind’s quilt are the thoughts of God’s Word.  We search the scriptures with attention to detail for the thoughts we need.  We demonstrate our workmanship by rightly dividing the Word of God (2 Timothy 2:15).  Then when we sew the perfect thoughts of God’s Word with intricate stitches of red thread, we will have a glorious quilt that is an expression of all the great things that God has given us.  Our mind’s quilt will reflect the love of God, protect us from the cold harsh world, and keep our minds at peace.  And just like the early pioneers developed their quilting skills, we can develop our skills in making our mind’s quilt. Our quilts can go beyond the level of bare necessity, into a wonderfully artful expression of the goodness of God.

 Note to my readers:  Happy quilting!  Thanks for reading!

We can look at just about anything in life in one of two ways.  Is the glass half empty or is it half full?  Same glass, same amount of water, but one sees it half empty and another sees it half full.  And even more interesting, we can look at the glass ourselves and see it half empty sometimes, and at other times, see it half full.  These two attitudes often stem from our experiences. 

In our lives, there are times that good things happen, and times that bad things happen.  We have successful times and times of failure.  We have easy times and hard times.  We have times of laughter and times of sorrow.  How do we look at those times – is the glass half empty or half full?    

You may say, “That’s easy.  Good times – half full.  Bad times – half empty.”  But it is not always that cut and dry. 

In its simplest form, our life is an accumulation of experiences.  And I base that statement on the definition of “experience” from Merriam Webster’s dictionary:  “Something personally encountered, undergone, or lived through;  the conscious events that make up an individual life.”  

We may choose our experiences, or they may be thrust upon us.  We may have experiences that surprise us or ones that we planned for a long time.  Some experiences may not have turned out the way we wanted, and others are merely mundane repetitions.  All these together have helped shape our outlook on life.  If we never had any experiences, we would have no basis for our opinions.  In addition, consider that all learning is an experience.  Whether we learn from a book, or a teacher, or by doing – learning is something we experience.

I am ever amazed at how much of life is a cycle.  Maybe everything??  Our experiences shape our outlook, and our outlook flavors our experiences.  Negative experiences can foster a negative outlook.  And a negative outlook can encourage negative experiences.  It is a predictable cycle.  And it works the exact same way on the positive side.  So why not lean toward seeing the glass half full?

Our experiences are unique to each of us.  Not the experiences themselves necessarily, because there are many experiences common to all of us.  But because we all are different, the impact of those experiences is as individual as we are.  For instance, we probably all went to school.  But our school experiences may be wildly different!  Even if we went to the same school at the same time, our experiences might be shared, but the outcome would not be identical because our perception and reception of those experiences are unique to each of us. 

You can test this for yourself.  Ask a friend or family member about an experience you shared with them.  Listen to their description – chances are it will be different from yours.  The experience is the same, but because your outlooks vary, the impact of the experience also varies.  

All of this is to say that our experiences influence us, but they don’t have to control us.  There is no doubt that experiences can affect us both positively and negatively, but we still determine whether we see our glass half empty or half full.  When negative experiences come along, of course we will be upset.  Experiences like sickness, loss, discouragement, or betrayal will hurt us, maybe even crush us.  (We would not be human if they didn’t.)  BUT we can face those experiences with a glass half full attitude if we try. 

First and foremost, we must know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who is a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)  God is always on our side.  He is always ready, willing, and able to deliver us from the consequences of any negative experience.  Remembering those things gives us the confidence we need to see our glass half full.  That is not to say that we will never be hurt or sad – we live in an evil world.  But it means that no matter what the world throws at us, we are never alone.  God never leaves us nor forsakes us, and that’s a promise!  God has and will rescue us.  God can restore what needs restored.  He can provide what needs provided.  And He can heal what needs healed.  Look at what He did for Job!  “So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning…”  (Job 42:12)  Job suffered more than anyone I’ve ever known.  Yet he remained fully committed to God, and he never stopped trusting that God would deliver him.  That is surely seeing the glass half full! 

There are many scriptures that we can claim in our minds to get us through difficult or painful experiences.  We must find the ones that speak to our hearts and keep them continually in our thinking without wavering in our believing that they are true.  When we do that, we can keep a glass half full attitude in any experience.

Now to be clear, I am not saying that our positive confession (glass half full) will prevent all negative experiences in our lives.  But it will help us get through them.  Difficult experiences can end up producing positive results.  For example, my husband lost his job during the pandemic and was out of work for eleven months.  But after that, he got his dream job!  Why not face negative experiences with the expectation of a positive outcome?  Another saying comes to mind, “turn lemons into lemonade.”  This may involve patience, however!  And as we practice this, we will see that we do not need to succumb to that negative cycle as noted above. 

Another benefit of endeavoring to maintain a glass half full attitude, is that we won’t miss the positives when they come, and we won’t forget to be thankful for them.  Have you ever had an experience that required you to do something that you did not want to do?  Perhaps you had to move or change jobs and you weren’t prepared to make that change.  Initially, you might have seen that experience as the glass half empty.  But you ‘sucked it up’ and did what you needed to do.  Then you began to see that the change had a positive outcome in your life.  You see that the experience wasn’t so bad after all.  And you can appreciate that outcome because you changed your mind to have a thankful positive, glass half full attitude. 

When it comes to positive happy experiences, we don’t usually need to be reminded to see the glass half full.  It’s axiomatic.  But we may need to watch out for things like gloating, ungratefulness, selfishness, and pride.  Those would be glass half empty attitudes and may end up undermining our happiness. 

Have you ever noticed that people who seem to ‘have it all’ are sometimes unhappy?  Or that the very wealthy are often greatly stressed?  Or that those who have achieved fame are frequently troubled?  This shows us that experiences themselves are not the answer to happiness.  It still goes back to whether we see the glass is half empty or half full.  You could have all the money in the world and if you see your glass half empty, you can be miserable.  Or you could have very meager means and if you see your glass half full, you can be happy and content. 

So, let’s endeavor the see our glass half full as often as possible.  And if we are in a glass half empty experience, let’s not be afraid to ask God for help.  Because with God’s help, a glass half empty experience can become not just a glass half full experience, but a glass overflowing one! 

Note to my readers:  God bless you fully!  Thanks for reading! 

It has been a long time since I’ve included a poem in my blog, and I thought, ‘there’s no time like the present’.  So, here goes…

Our country was founded on the promise of freedom.  The early settlers came to this land to escape religious persecution.  They wanted the freedom to worship God as they believed was right.  Later others came to escape tyranny.  Whatever their reasons, they all were looking for a life of freedom. 

Think about our country’s founding documents…  The Declaration of Independence, for instance.  What is independence?  It is the state of being independent. (really, that is its definition, duh!)  And the first definition of ‘independent’ in Merriam Webster’s dictionary is, “Not subject to control by others.”  In other words, free!  This document declared our country’s freedom from England’s control.

The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence starts with, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”  These words clearly describe freedom.

The Preamble to Our Constitution states:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”  The founding fathers understood the importance of being a free people.  These are the principles that make our country great! 

But there is a far greater freedom that is guaranteed to us.  And that is the freedom we have in Christ.  By his sacrifice, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus Christ secured our independence from evil (it no longer has control over us) and gave us freedom from the bondage of fear.  When we accepted Christ as our Lord, we were released from the prison of sin and its consequences; and given a new life free from condemnation and guilt.    

The freedom we have in our country depends on people’s adherence to our Constitution, which varies.  It can be restricted by a government if it chooses to not follow the Constitution.  The God-given freedom we have because of Christ’s finished work, however, is complete and never varies.  It can only be stifled in our minds by unbelief.  The freedom we have in our country is governed by natural laws set up by men.  The freedom we have in Christ is spiritual and promised by God.  It is irrevocable. 

The Bible uses words to paint pictures to help our understanding.  Eagles are sometimes the subject of those pictures. 

One of my favorite “eagle” verses is in Isaiah.

Isaiah 40:31 – But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles: they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

This verse was an inspiration for my poem.  Eagles portray strength, power, and freedom.  Eagles also evoke respect, admiration, and awe.  I find it interesting that our country opted to use an eagle as its symbol of freedom.  Maybe the founding fathers read the Bible! 

Isaiah 40:31 paints a marvelous picture of the freedom and strength we have as sons of God.  Can’t you just picture yourself soaring through the sky like an eagle – strong, fearless, and free?  What a great image to hold in our minds!

The freedom we have in our country is something we should appreciate, even fight for.  There have always been (and always will be) enemies who want to take away our freedom.  We cannot let them! 

The freedom we have in Christ is ours forever!  We still may need to fight for it, but the battlefield is in our minds.  Sometimes the things that God has given to us or done for us may seem ‘too good to be true’, but they ARE true.  And the Bible tells us that God will never take them away from us.  (Romans 11:29)  Our freedom is real and true, but manifesting it hinges on our mind’s complete assurance of its truth. 

So, if you see an eagle flying, it may remind you of our country and the freedom we have here, and that’s okay.  But you can also think of how free you are in Christ.  We have been made free from the bondage of fear and worry.  We are no longer subject to the evils that enslave the world.  We have been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God’s dear son. (Colossians 1:13)

Our freedom in Christ enables us to overcome any situation that might transpire in this day and time.  We can soar like eagles because we are FREE in Christ. 

Note to my readers:  Let your freedom ring!  Thanks for reading. 

October generally confirms that the Fall season has arrived.  Fall officially starts in September with the autumn equinox, but somehow, it never seems much like Fall in September.  In October, however, the leaves have begun to change, the nights have cooled, jackets have been unpacked, and pumpkin everything has flooded the markets.  These things make it feel like Fall. 

Now, we don’t experience Fall in Florida like the northerners do.  Our leaves don’t really change, temperatures don’t drop too much, and we generally save the jackets for wintertime.  But the die-hard transplants from up north (which most of us are) still get out our fall decorations, eat everything pumpkin, and enjoy that we can leave our windows open during the day. 

I do miss seeing the fall foliage, but often it was short-lived.  The leaves would start turning, and my anticipation would build.  But then, just as the leaves were almost at the height of their color, a rainstorm would come along and knock them all off the trees.  I would feel cheated.  One year we had a freak snowstorm while the leaves were still on the trees.  It wreaked total havoc!  There was no color that year!

It has always seemed to me that the sky in the Fall is a richer blue than any other time of year.  Maybe it’s the contrast to the leaves’ color?  Maybe it’s just me?  Whatever!   Fall, nonetheless, is usually a pleasant time of year for both the north and the south.

Fall reminds us of many different things.  Of course, school has resumed after the summer break.  For lots of folks, it is football season.  Many look forward to apple picking, pumpkin picking and Halloween.  For me, Fall culminates with the Thanksgiving holiday.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it is steeped in our country’s history and filled with many fond memories of gatherings with family and friends.  Of course, it is a time that we focus on giving thanks and remembering to be thankful.  Giving thanks is vital to our wellbeing.  It is a wonderfully uplifting way to live.  There is always something that we can be thankful for!

Being thankful is important to our frame of mind because it reminds us to appreciate the life we have.  Our lives are not perfect.  They may not be always easy.  Everyone faces hardships or heartaches at times.  But even if we’re having a rough time right now, we can still find something to be thankful for.  And if we are deliriously happy right now, we cannot forget to give thanks.

Take a deep breath.  You can always be thankful for that breath.  Why?  Because if things are bad right now, as long as you have breath, they can get better.  And if things are going well right now, it’s good to be alive.

The Bible exhorts us to be thankful.  And we know that whatever God exhorts us to do is of great benefit to us.  He never asks us to do anything that isn’t good for us!  God doesn’t remind us to be thankful because He needs that recognition.  He reminds us of this because the ‘attitude of gratitude’ helps us. 

You might say to me, “Terri, my life sucks right now.  How can I be thankful for that?”  I would reply, “We aren’t thankful for the bad things, but we are thankful because God promised that He would never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) God makes a way where there is no way!  His ability is not limited.  He is omnipotent and He is the Almighty God, Who is bountiful and full of blessings.  God has the answers to all our questions.

If we are sick, we’re not thankful for the sickness, but we are thankful that by Jesus Christ’s stripes we were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)  If we are broken hearted, we are not thankful for the pain, but we are thankful that God is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed in spirit.  (Psalm 34:18)  If we are in need, we are not thankful for that need, but we are thankful that God said He will liberally supply everything we need.  (Philippians 4:19)  The list goes on. If we keep our minds focused on the promises of God, we can always be thankful, because God assures (and reassures) us that He will take care of us.  No matter what we’re facing, God is bigger.  And miracles do happen!  As my friend often says, “God’s got this!”

It says in Philippians 4:6…

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

The word ‘careful’ means “to be troubled with cares or anxious”.  We do not need to be anxious about our situation because we can pray to God, Who is able to support us, to defend us, and to supply our every need.  Knowing that God is our Father and He loves us more than we can imagine, is certainly something to be thankful for regardless of our circumstances. 

No matter what is going on in our lives, whether good or bad, we cannot forget that we have the hope of Christ’s return.  We are going to live FOREVER with God and Christ and ALL the believers!  First Thessalonians 4:17 ends with, “and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”  Think about that!  I’d say that’s an exciting reason to be very thankful!! 

We do not have to wait for November 23^rd to be thankful.  Nor do we need to limit our thankfulness to one day a year.  We can live each day with a thankful heart.  We can teach our minds to look for the reasons to be thankful and hold tight to those reasons.  We can look around and see the little things that give us pleasure and be thankful for those.  We can trust that God will fulfill His promises and be very thankful for those promises. 

Enjoy Fall and the blessings it brings.  Get your pumpkins and gourds, your mums and sunflowers.  Eat your pumpkin pie, cake, cookies, bread, muffins, and donuts.  Drink your pumpkin spiced coffee and your pumpkin ale.  Dress up for Halloween.  Give candy to trick or treaters.  Pick apples. Open your windows.  And most of all – enjoy all the reasons you have for being thankful! 

Note to my readers:  I am thankful that you take time out of your busy life to read my blog! 

We all came into this world in the same way.  We all were born.  And at that moment, we all were clean slates.  We had no influences from the world around us.  We had no preconceived ideas.  We could not make decisions nor pass judgement on anyone or anything.  However, from the first sensation of our mother’s touch all the way unto this moment in time, our minds have been collecting and cataloging knowledge and experiences.  And all that we’ve collected whether good or bad, has led us to the place we are today. 

Experiences happen, we cannot always control our environment.  But it isn’t necessarily the experiences that define us.  It is the decisions we have made and the conclusions we’ve drawn regarding those experiences, which have yielded long lasting effects on our lives.  Our experiences may have written our history, but our responses to those experiences have built our conscience.

Every person has a conscience.  Merriam Webster defines it as: “the sense or consciousness of the moral goodness or blameworthiness of one’s own conduct, intentions, or character together with a feeling of obligation to do right or be good”. 

In the center of our conscience is our heart which is where our innermost thoughts and convictions reside.  It is the hiding place for our secrets.  It is where we write our moral code and store our most precious ideas.  It is where we hold tight to our unwavering faith.  Our heart is the seat of our personal life, and it directs our conscience.

I think of our conscience like a computer’s operating system.  It manages our mind’s input and output.  It allocates our mind’s resources and coordinates the execution of its reactions.  It works to avoid conflicts.  And just like the computer’s operating system, it is always running in the background.  However, everyone’s conscience is unique to their own platform.  There is no “one size fits all” conscience that can be downloaded into everyone’s mind.  You cannot run on my conscience, nor can I run on yours.  We must be the sole programmers of our own conscience.  We design our own operating system and write the unique codes that it follows to perform the necessary tasks of our personal platforms. We must maintain our operating system in good working order.  And like our computer’s operating system gets updated regularly, we must keep our conscience updated also. 

There are many good people in the world who endeavor to maintain a good moral conscience.  They have developed their operating system according to their own ethical standard, which may or may not be based on religious beliefs.  Their platform is built on their own innate sense of right and wrong.  Although they may be good people, their operating system might not always be reliable.  Without an unalterable platform of truth, the line between right and wrong could become blurred. 

Unfortunately, there are also individuals in this world whose conscience is steeped in moral decay.  Their operating systems are based on lies, deceit and greed. Their platform is evil.  The Bible describes them as, “having their conscience seared with a hot iron.” (1 Timothy 4:2)  They are miserable and want everyone else to be miserable as well.  And just like hackers seek to infiltrate our computers and cause harm, they try to slip their evil agendas onto our platforms and corrupt our operating systems. 

The Bible warns us about them.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

We cannot allow these people to affect our conscience.  But they will try! 

We Christians have a standard for our operating system that is greater than ourselves.  When our conscience is built on and governed by the Bible, we have a truly unchangeable platform to rely on.  We can have the confidence in ourselves that only God’s Word can provide.  We will not be seduced by the corruption that is so prevalent in the world today because God’s Word provides an impenetrable firewall around our hearts.  Of course, none of us is perfect, and we can get tricked in our minds.  But with our faith in God, those tricks will never reach our hearts.  We know that we must take action to keep the data on our computers safe from hackers.  We must also take action to protect our conscience and our heart against the thief who wants to corrupt our character and steal our wellbeing.   

The worldly powers are always seeking to take over our hearts because they know if they can reach us there, they have won.  God is always seeking an invitation from us for Him to come into our hearts because He knows if we put Him there, we have won for all eternity!! 

Proverbs 4:23 – Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

We must guard our hearts like a priceless commodity.  Our hearts direct our conscience, and our conscience directs our minds. Our hearts hold the knowledge and wisdom that are vital to our very being and that allow us to be who we truly want to be.  The Bible says, “with the heart man believeth unto righteousness…” (Romans 10:10)  Salvation came to us via our hearts.   And just like our physical heart sustains our body, the heart of our conscience sustains our soul. 

Note to my readers: 

Thanks for reading my amateurish attempt at using computer jargon! 😊