Food for Thought…

Having had our twin grandsons visiting for five days, I thought I’d write about energy.  Eight-year-olds seem to have boundless energy.  They wake up ready to take on their day and try to expend every last ounce of their energy before bedtime.  Their energy makes it hard for them to sit still and nearly impossible for them to stay quiet.  Their energy is displayed not only in their activity level, but also in their silliness.  A parent’s responsibility is to harness that energy and steer it in the right direction.  (And it is hard work to corral an 8-year-old’s energy – let alone two 8-year-olds!)  A grandparent helps with this but can also sit back and watch the show.  This is the reward for a job well done raising their own children! 

Our grandsons had their 8^th birthday while they were visiting, so most of our plans revolved around that.  Watching them having fun stirred many thoughts in my mind.  The blessings of family, the excitement of youth, the pleasure of watching children at play – these are some of the best joys of life. 

Children’s energy is fueled by their curiosity and their innocence.   They are blissfully unaware of the problems in the world and the grown-up responsibilities, which sometimes seem to overshadow us as adults.  Children get excited about little things and look for every opportunity that they can find to have fun.  I watched the twins chase little lizards and celebrate each time they caught one.  (I have pictures!)  Those kinds of activities would not be exciting to me nor to most adults, but for the kids, it was an adventure. 

The boys loved being the center of attention at their birthday party.  It was a joy to watch their enthusiasm while they blew out the candles on their cake and opened their gifts.  Of course this enthusiasm needs to be tempered with thankfulness and appreciation, which must be instilled by their parents.  But why not be excited for these occasions?  It is alright to be the recipient of such demonstrations of affection, because, isn’t that what birthday parties really are? 

The silliness involved in a child’s energy usually tries a parent’s patience (and a grandparent’s too.)  But that is all part of the package.  The Bible says that foolishness is bound in the heart of a child.  And although it is the parents’ responsibility to correct and train up a child in the way he should go, we cannot forget that children are foolish by nature.  Remembering this helps us keep our frustrations in check.   

Being with my son and his family was an exuberant experience.  I was reminded of how fun it is to have grandchildren around and how much I respect my own children.  I cried when they left.

Families are important.  It is the family bond that builds values in children because no one else cares for a child more than a parent does.  And if children are fortunate enough to have grandparents in their lives, they are doubly cared for.  All the energy that we put into raising our children is repaid by them becoming adults that we can respect. 

As it is with many things in life, it is a balance.  As grown-ups, we shouldn’t put away all of our childlike enthusiasm.  It wouldn’t hurt us to have some simple wonder and amazement.  Maybe it would energize us with more excitement for life.  Oh, I know we have responsibilities and pressures, but those can’t be the only things that define us.  Why not look for some opportunities to have fun?  Laughter is often the best medicine.  There may even be times when we can be silly!  Of course, I’m not promoting that we shirk any responsibility.  I’m just saying that we don’t need to be SO serious so much of the time.

My husband often says that if he could bottle a child’s energy and sell it to adults, we’d be multi-millionaires.  We can’t do that, but we can enjoy the energy that children bring into our lives, and we can allow their energy to revitalize our hearts.  We can be excited about the little things and seek some adventure.  Have fun! Smile! Laugh!  Enjoy life like a child! 

Note to my readers:  One word of warning; if you are a grandparent, trying to keep up with the grandchildren may wear you out!  Speaking from recent experience! 😊  Thanks for reading!

We all know that our physical heart is a vital part of our being.  If our heart stops, we stop.  If our heart has problems, our health is greatly impacted.  Our physical heart resides in our chest and pumps lifegiving blood throughout our body. 

Did you also know that we have another heart?  It is the heart of our soul.  It is similar to our physical heart in that, if it stops, we stop – not physically necessarily, but emotionally.  And if it has problems, our souls are vexed.  The heart of our soul resides in our mind and pumps lifegiving convictions throughout our thoughts.  It is the innermost part of our being.  It is our deepest conscience.  It makes us, us. 

The world is full of advice to care for our physical heart – diet, exercise, vitamins, etc.  But what about our soul’s heart?  How do we care for it?  Well, surprisingly enough, the same way – diet, exercise, and vitamins, etc.  Figurative ones, of course.

Just as the food we eat goes through a digestive process in order to become the nutrition we need; our mental food also needs to be digested in order to give us nutritious thoughts.  We need to make healthy choices about the food we put in our bodies and in our minds.   And we need to pay attention to the digestive process for both.  

Think about it… most of us are particular about what we put in our mouths.  We manage the quality and the quantity of the food we eat.  We eat the foods that we like and the foods that we think are good for us.  We make choices based on priorities.  For instance, if our priority is to lose weight, we eat the foods that facilitate weight loss.  If we need to accommodate a health issue, we eat the foods that address that.  And if we experience adverse effects from some food, we choose to avoid it.

The same choices need to be made for the foods that we feed our minds.  Of course, we think the thoughts that we like, but we must still be selective.  We have to manage the quality and the quantity of the thoughts we entertain. We can’t allow our minds to be flooded with indiscriminate thoughts all the time as that can cause confusion.  We may need to prioritize our thoughts.  For example, perhaps you are going on vacation next week.  You really like thinking about that.  But you can’t think only those thoughts while you are at work.  You have to prioritize.  Also, we must choose the thoughts that are good for us.  Just like certain foods promote healthy bodies, certain thoughts promote healthy minds.  And if we experience adverse effects from certain thoughts, we must choose to avoid those.   

We must also consider the digestive process.  For our bodies, we’ve been taught since we were kids how that process works.  But what about our minds?  We may not know how to process information correctly in our minds. 

Both processes begin with chewing.  I grew up with a bad habit of not chewing my food well because as a kid, sitting down to a meal was usually an unwelcomed interruption of play time.  I can still hear my mom reminding me to slow down and chew!  We can be in a hurry in our minds as well and not think about what we are feeding them.  Ideas just pour in, and we don’t take the time to chew them for validity.  We must be careful about what we put into our minds, and we must digest it properly by weighing our thoughts against a standard.  Often that standard is one’s religious beliefs.  For Christians, it is the Bible. 

Like we exercise our bodies to stay physically fit, we must also exercise our minds to stay mentally fit.  Our minds’ exercise comes from learning new things and exploring new horizons.  Reading is to our minds what walking is to our bodies – a basic necessary exercise.  And just like we can intensify our physical exercise routine, we can expand our mind’s routine as well.  This involves not only reading, but also studying and thoughtful control.  We must actively guard our minds and protect them from the harmful thoughts that tear us down.  We must be strong in our minds and sharp in our perceptions.  If we are lazy physically, our bodies become weak.  If we are lazy mentally, our minds lose acuity.

Vitamins offer concentrated nutritional value to our diet.  I remember a Bible teaching that referred to Bible verses as being like good vitamins.  Taking nutritional vitamins helps make us strong physically.  Learning Bible verses helps make us strong mentally.   Physical vitamins give us nutrients that may be missing in our diets.  Bible vitamins give us everything we need that is missing in the world. 

Healthy diets, exercise and vitamins are good for our physical hearts.  And diets rich with the vitamins of God’s Word along with the exercise of renewing our minds give us strong steadfast hearts that are committed to God’s truth and light.   

Knowing the importance of caring for our physical heart motivates us to be wise regarding our diet and exercise routines.  And although caring for our soul’s heart may not seem as critical, it is very important that we maintain a good routine for it as well.  The best diet we can feed our soul’s heart is God’s Word.  A steady diet of truth profits us in many more ways than just our physical health.  When our hearts overflow with light, our lives are whole.  There is a verse that seems to sum this up perfectly.

Proverbs 4:23

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Take care of yourself – your whole self – body, soul, and spirit! 

Note to my readers:  I love you with all my heart.  Thanks for reading!

Please note that I will not be posting next Friday as I have grandchildren coming and you know what that means!  😊😊

The dictionary defines support as: “to bear all or part of the weight; to hold up; to give assistance to; to enable to act or function; to keep from fainting, yielding, or losing courage”.  Some other words used in conjunction are advocate, help, assist, maintain, and comfort.

Support is a familiar term in our vocabulary. For lots of us, technical support is a must.  Some of us may need emotional support or financial support from agencies that provide those things.  The world is full of charities that solicit our support.  And many of us are happy to support them.  But these kinds of support are not my focus for today.  I want to talk about supporting each other. 

People need support for myriads of reasons in order to make it through the complexity of their lives.  Yet, support sometimes carries a negative connotation.  People can think of support like a crutch, and that often corresponds to “dependency” in their minds.  I often wonder if these people had a broken leg, would they decline to use a crutch to walk until they’re healed?  Of course I understand that support can be exploited.  But most folks do not succumb to that.  They view support as a means to an end.  They can attest to the value of support as a factor in overcoming their adversity. 

Support is designed to help us get through difficult situations. It is goal oriented.  It is a tool to get us to recovery.   We all struggle at times.  Things go wrong or become difficult.  Circumstances may overwhelm us or catch us off-guard.  We may just grow weary of the fight.  There are many reasons that we might need some assistance or comfort to enable us to function.  Receiving support helps get us back to wellness.  It helps us cope.  So I think that we can safely say that it’s okay to get support.  Asking for support is not an admission of weakness, nor is it ‘too much to ask’.  It’s simply a step toward getting back on track.  Support helps keep us from ‘fainting, yielding, or losing courage’.

I think there are basically two attitudes that prevent people from asking for help.  One is pride.  (There is a difference between being prideful and being proud of ourselves.  It’s perfectly acceptable to be proud of our accomplishments and successes that we’ve worked hard to achieve.  We should take pride in our work and put forth our best efforts.)  Prideful people somehow think that they are better than others.  They boast of their own abilities and glory in themselves.  They are conceited, and disdainful.  This is the kind of pride that hurts people. 

In Proverbs 16, it says that pride goes before destruction, which can also be translated as ‘shattering’ or ‘crashing’.  Pride leads people down the path of ruin.  Pride puts people on a collision course with failure.  A prideful person usually never admits (even to himself) that he needs help.  His pride won’t allow it.  He alienates people because he thinks that he is better than they are.  He seldom has many friends because no one can measure up to his prideful standard.  Consequently when he falls, even if he admits that he might need help at that point, there may not be anyone around to pick him up.

The other attitude that keeps people from asking for help is feeling like they don’t want to bother or burden anyone.  I understand this.  I lean toward this feeling myself.  Most people do not want to be thought of as “needy” and in fact, find being needy distasteful.  But seeking support is not being needy.  What is more profitable – admitting that you need help, or failing miserably because you were afraid to seek support?  I think we all would agree that asking for help is a much better solution than failing. 

Support comes to us in many ways.  From professional counsellors to the friend who offers us a shoulder to cry on, people provide solace and advice.  A kind word or a gentle touch can be all the support we need sometimes.  Our families are often the first ones to offer us loving support.  Parents generally want to support their children more than their children want to be supported!  Another source of support can come from books.  According to one market analysis, about $549 million is spent on self-help books in our country annually.  Of course, the best self-help book is the Bible (which is not included in the above analysis), but I’ll talk more about that later.  There are times that we may need lots of help, maybe from multiple sources.  And no matter how serious or how menial our situation is, support can make the situation more manageable.   

People can’t always be there for us, even if they want to be.  But there is One who is always there, and that is God.  Our Father, God is all powerful and all knowing.  Therefore, He has all the ability necessary to help us in any and every situation.  And He knows exactly what we need no matter what we are facing.  God can answer everyone’s prayers even if we are all praying at the same time. Being omniscient and omnipotent means that He can give each and every one of us individual attention at any given moment and meet all of our needs personally no matter what or how many they are.  So, who better to support us?  God’s ear is always open to our prayers, and He is willing and able to provide whatever we need.  He’s never too busy or pre-occupied to support His children.  When we understand this, we can determine to make God as living and real in our lives as any person could be.  He can be our first line of defense because He is mightier than all of us put together.  He never lets us down.  He is completely trustworthy.  He keeps our confidences. 

In addition to prayer, reading the Bible offers us endless support.  Every book is somebody’s words, but the Bible is God’s words.  And God’s words are pure and perfect.  They have power.  There are no better words than they to give us any and all the support we need.    

For example, perhaps you are sad.  You read in your Bible:

Psalm 16:11

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Suddenly, you are no longer sad!  God’s words have rescued you from your sadness.  The scriptures are full of edification, exhortation, and comfort.  A single verse can change our lives.  God’s Word is that powerful and It supports us like no other words can!

There is no shame in asking for help when we need it.  There is nothing wrong with seeking or accepting support.  God placed us in a body as it states in 1 Corinthians 12, verse 27 – “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular”.  God used the example of our human bodies to illustrate the way we are supposed to work together as Christians.  Just as our human bodies rally when a part is injured, we should rally when a member of the body of Christ is hurt.  And the best thing is that it doesn’t matter whether we are the supporter or the support-ee, both get blessed when we work together. 

Support is not limited to only times of trouble.  We can support each other in the good times too.  For instance, your brother is performing in a play.  You attend the play to support him.  How about your friend’s daughter who is selling Girl Scout cookies?  How many boxes do you buy?  That is support. 

There are also times that we can support someone without even knowing it.  Have you ever had someone thank you for something you did for them that was actually unintentional on your part?  If we are in the habit of being generous, kind, and caring, chances are these situations will happen.  Also, we may be inspired to say or do something for someone but not know why.  Then we do it and find out that it was exactly what was needed.  These kinds of support are so rewarding because most of us derive much satisfaction from helping people.

So don’t be afraid to seek support when you need it.  And don’t hesitate to give support when you see a need.  Because either way, you will be blessed! 

Note to my readers:  I am ever thankful for your support of my blog.  Thanks for reading!!

Like anyone who loves to write, I often dream of writing a book.  But what would I write about?  My life?  Although, I think my life has been remarkable, I doubt that it would make for a fascinating read.  How about all my knowledge and wisdom?  Talk about a short story!  Maybe fiction?  I feel like it’s all been done before.  So I continue to dream, and maybe one day…  we’ll see.

In the meantime, perhaps I can tell you a story about a woman I know.  I’ve known this woman for a long time.  I actually was there when she was born.  When she was a baby, she cried a lot.  Not sure why, but I do know that her mom was really overwhelmed with her new responsibilities.  This was her first child, and she didn’t know anything about taking care of a baby.  But somehow the two of them managed, quite often to her mother’s surprise.  It’s a funny thing about raising a child when you’re clueless – everyone has advice and they are readily willing to share it, but none of it is the same.  So it seems that childrearing is pretty much trial and error.  And that is certainly how this woman was raised. 

What I remember about her early years is that she was cute, smart, and a little timid.  She liked puzzles and baby dolls.  She loved her grandmothers.  She liked to dance and dress up.  She would often wear colorful mismatched outfits that she picked out for herself.  Her mom would just smile.  I remember one time she got a new pair of boots, which I guess she must have liked because she wore them all the time, even to bed.  Her mom would have to sneak in after she was asleep and take them off.  Even as a small girl, this woman was tenderhearted.  She hated to see anyone be sad or get hurt.  (And that hasn’t changed!) 

Her school years were up and down.  She had a hard time starting first grade.  It was new school, and she was afraid.  Her mom, not knowing what else to do, followed the school’s instructions to leave her with the teacher and walk away even though she was crying.  But her mom basically had no choice because she would be crying too.  But eventually it all worked out and the little girl excelled in school.  She changed schools a couple more times, and I think each time had its trials, but overall she did well in her studies. 

As it is with many mothers and daughters, she and her mom were somewhat estranged during her teenage years.  They still talked and did things together, but there was a little distance between them.  It was a difficult time, but they got through it.  I remember her and her mom being out to lunch with a group of friends, including another mother and daughter.  The two girls were both stunning in their own unique way.  As I watched them talking together, I realized that neither knew how beautiful they were.  Of course that is not unusual, youth seldom sees with the heart – that generally comes with age.  What they also didn’t see was a young man walk into a wall because he was staring at them! 

I watched this girl grow into a woman and get even more beautiful through the years.  She is an amazing mother now with children of her own.  She is a good wife and a faithful Christian.  She is industrious, energetic, and generous to a fault.  She runs her own business and takes good care of her family.  And we are friends, which is the joy and rejoicing of my heart.

I suspect that you may have already guessed that I am talking about my daughter.  She has grown into a wonderful woman, and I am very proud of her.  I praise God for her life because I know it was His grace that covered for all my mistakes as a mom.  It was God’s strength that got us through the hard times, and it is His love that binds us together now and forever. 

I love the relationship that we share now.  And even though she lives in another state, and I don’t get to see her as much as I’d like, our hearts are knit together because she is not only my daughter, but also my sister in Christ. 

My prayer for all mothers and daughters (and sisters, aunts, grandmothers etc.) is that they can share the relationship of being sisters in Christ in addition to the family bond.  Standing together on God’s Word is an exceedingly joyful privilege that makes any relationship more beautiful.  And standing together with our children warms a mother’s heart like nothing else can. 

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

If your mom is anything like mine, you may have grown up hearing lots of proverbs.   Proverbs are sayings that provide timely advice or an interesting viewpoint.  They are designed to be catchy quips that help us keep life simple.   We’ve all heard many of them many times.  Some common ones are:  “A picture is worth a thousand words”, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”, “Actions speak louder than words”, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, and “The grass is not always greener on the other side”.  I bet you could list several more just off the top of your head. 

A proverb is considered a figure of speech.  Grammatically, a proverb is defined as a statement that may be a truism or contain a message that forces the hearer to consider it carefully. For instance: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This is a proverb that is useful for people to consider in their relationships with others.

These familiar sayings usually offer good advice for dealing with the falderol of life.  I use them often.  They are simple ways of making valid points.  Maybe my fondness for them comes from being raised with them, but they do seem to be helpful. 

Even though these proverbs are common and relatable, their application is personal.  We all know what a book is.  We all know what a book cover is.  We’ve all read books. So when we hear the proverb, we understand that the cover of a book doesn’t reveal everything that’s inside.  And if we allow our opinion of the cover to determine the quality of the book without reading it, we may be sorely mistaken about the content.   In our personal application, we may relate this to people.  Perhaps our first impression of someone was less than favorable.  But after we got to know them, they became our good friends.  This is because we didn’t make a shallow judgement about them.  We didn’t judge a book by its cover.  This is an example of how our personal experience determines our individual application of a proverb.

How about the times that we might feel sorry for ourselves?  Often this happens when we compare ourselves with others.  We may think, “the grass is greener on their side”.  It is not.  Everyone has trials and tribulations.  We don’t know what is going on in someone’s heart; their ‘grass’ may be something that is far worse than ours, but we can’t see it.  So, the grass isn’t greener for them.  But without considering this proverb, their grass could still seem greener, and we would continue to feel sorry for ourselves. 

These are just a couple illustrations.  I could go on for pages, but I really want to talk about the proverbs in the Bible.

The book of Proverbs is a great source of wisdom for living a godly life.  God provided us these tidbits of His wisdom to help us successfully navigate through all the nonsense that is in the world today.  The book of Proverbs is not the only book in the Bible that contains proverbs, however, it is my focus for this post. 

The following is an excerpt taken from Christianity.com:

“A Biblical proverb is a short saying that expresses a universal truth for practical, godly living. The term “Proverb” comes from the Hebrew root word meaning “to be like”; hence, the book of Proverbs is full of comparisons illustrating how various simple concepts represent the fundamental truths of life.”

Now, since the book of Proverbs is full of “short sayings that express universal truths for practical, godly living”, why not utilize these Biblical proverbs as readily as we do the common ones that we grew up with? 

For example:

Proverbs 3:5

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

Picture yourself facing a difficult situation.  What if this proverb popped into your mind?  Wouldn’t it be timely advice?  Wouldn’t it help you navigate through the situation? 

How about Proverbs 4:23?

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

Isn’t this something that we should consider carefully? 

Proverbs 17:22

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”

Doesn’t this proverb offer practical counsel that we can apply in our lives?

Consider these as well…

Proverbs 16:8

“Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.”

Proverbs 16:24

“Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.”

Proverbs 22:1

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

These are just a few of the wonderful verses in Proverbs that illustrate simple concepts that represent fundamental truths that God wants us to know.

It is also interesting to note that some of the familiar proverbs that we may have heard, have their basis in the Bible as well.  A few examples are: “by the skin of my teeth” (Job 19:20); “go the extra mile” (Matthew 5:41); “a leopard cannot change his spots” (Jeremiah 13:23).  And even if a common proverb isn’t tied directly to a scripture, most of them represent positive principles.  (Maybe that’s why I like them)

The book of Proverbs offers a wealth of understanding.  Proverbs are easy to receive and easy to remember.  Isn’t it marvelous that God imparted His wisdom to us in pure, gentle, and easy to be intreated proverbs?  When we listen to what God says and put into practice what He instructs, we will indeed live a godly life.  And really, isn’t that what we sincerely want to do? 

Proverbs 8:11

“For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.”

Think about it, Almighty God gave us His Word full of all the wisdom we need to live victoriously in this present evil world.  When the storms of life hit, God’s wisdom keeps us grounded.  His wisdom calms the tempests and places us on peaceful shores.  I’d like to see a ruby do that!  

Note to my readers:  One of my favorite proverbs, which I say frequently, is in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “…there is no new thing under the sun.”    Thanks for reading! 

Merriam Webster has the following definitions for the word “confidence”:

1 a: a feeling or consciousness of one’s powers or of reliance on one’s circumstances

   b: faith or belief that one will act in a right, proper, or effective way

2:   the quality or state of being certain : CERTITUDE

I developed a severe lack of self-confidence during my early teen years, so I spent most of my young adult life with fairly low self-esteem.  Even after getting saved and learning about God’s Word, I still thought that everyone was better than I – smarter, prettier, more talented, more spiritual, etc. 

Having a low opinion of myself led me into a trap of putting myself down all the time and hoping that someone would disagree and tell me that it wasn’t true. But when that didn’t happen or happen enough, I began to believe that all those things about me must be true.  I guess you could say that I brought it upon myself.  But the mind is a funny thing.  Sometimes without much coaxing, it can be swayed in a direction contrary to way that you want it to go. 

In addition, I was afraid that if I said or even thought something good about myself, I would be a braggart.  I had heard people brag about themselves and I had heard the criticism leveled against them when they did.  I didn’t want people to criticize me, so I would never say anything that I thought could sound like bragging.

It wasn’t until my mid 30’s that I began to gain some self-confidence.  I had gone through a devasting experience and had to make up my mind whether I was going to sink or swim.  I decided to swim.

In the course of rising above my circumstances, I began to see that I was actually kind of smart.  I learned to do a new job that involved writing official documents and bookkeeping, (two things that I didn’t think I could do) and I excelled.  That was the beginning of my transition. Then as I continued to change my mind about myself, other things started to change for me too.  I began to have some self-confidence.

Feeling poorly about myself all those years didn’t change overnight.  It took a determined application of positive thoughts, which took time.  And as these things usually go, I would do well for a while, then fall back into the old thinking.  Then I’d fight to get back to the positive thinking and be okay for a while, then fall back… and so on.  Even now, I have to refute those old thoughts from time to time. 

Now, you may ask, “what changed?”  I could cite so many things – circumstances, situations, locations, relationships, age, jobs.  But even though all those things had a part in helping me change my mind; in order to make a real change of heart, one needs help from God.  As my confidence in God grew, so did my confidence in myself.

So, considering the MW definitions above, I think they actually work in reverse order:

2: the quality or state of being certain : CERTITUDE

When we are certain about God and His Word, we have all that we need.  Do you want to change?  Do you want deliverance?  Do you want healing?  Wholeness?  Abundance?  Peace?  God’s Word has the answers you need.  When you are certain that God is God; and are fully persuaded that His Word is truth; and have no doubt that God answers prayer, then God can give you the desires of your heart.  (Psalm 37:4)  This is what God wants to do, we need to learn how to let Him do it. 

I’ll be honest, I had never heard the word “certitude” before this.  I had to look it up.  Certitude means the same as certainty.  When we are certain about the truth, then we begin to see heart of our Heavenly Father.  And then our confidence grows because we see that He wants only the best for us in everything.  God gave His only begotten son for us so that we could be saved and live a more than abundant life – forever!  And being saved gives us a direct line of communication with God.  He wants us to talk to Him.  He wants to be our supplier, supporter and defender in every situation of our lives.  And that brings us to:

b: faith or belief that one will act in a right, proper, or effective way

We know that God is righteous, He is just, and He is all powerful.  Therefore, we can be completely confident that He will do what He said He would do; that He will keep His promises; and that He will come to our aid in any situation.  Think about it, who could act in a more right, proper or effective way than God?  No one can do it better than He can!  He warrants all our confidence, trust and believing. 

Lastly, Merriam Webster says:

1a: a feeling or consciousness of one’s powers or of reliance on one’s circumstances

With our unwavering faith in God, we can look at ourselves with confidence because we can believe that the things that God says about us are true.  Most notably, we can believe:

Colossians 1:27

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

This verse states that we have Christ in us.  This is either true or it’s not.  We believe it’s true!  So, when we look at ourselves, that is what we should see.   We should see ourselves as someone whom God valued enough to give His only begotten son for; someone whom God called before the foundation of the earth to be His son or daughter.  We should see ourselves the way God sees us.  He remembers that we’re frail, but He sees us as super-conquerors.

If confidence is being conscious of one’s powers, we have the power of God in Christ in us!  And if it’s a reliance on one’s circumstances, our circumstances are that we’re saved and going to heaven and all hell can’t stop us!  I’d say those are pretty good reasons to be confident. 

We all have our own natural abilities, our own strengths and weaknesses.  But if our confidence is built on those things alone; it is built on sand.  However, if our confidence is built on God’s strength, His promises, and the finished work of Jesus Christ; it will be built on solid ground.  That does not mean that we don’t utilize our own abilities and strengths, those are the things that give us our unique place in the body of Christ.  Your unique qualities enrich the family of God in a way that only you can!

Why shouldn’t we be confident in who we are?  We have the spirit of God dwelling in us.  God is our Father.  He has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us, and He meant what He said when He said that!  Our self-confidence doesn’t come from our limited abilities alone, but from God’s unlimited power and His unfailing love that are in us.  I can have self-confidence now, not because I am so great, but because God is! 

So, build your confidence on God and stand fast on the firm foundation of His Word.  Then when you go out and about, stand tall and say, “Look out world, here comes a son of God!”  Confidence in God takes nothing away from who we are as individuals, it enables us to be the best individual that we can be. 

Note to my readers:  The highest ransom ever paid was paid by God for you!  Thanks for reading! 

You may have heard Florida referred to as “The Sunshine State”.  This is an accurate designation.  In fact, it was adopted by the Florida Legislature in 1970 as Florida’s official nickname.  And I agree with their decision.  I love the morning sun streaming through the windows in the back of the house and the evening sun filling the front rooms with light.  Most days it is bright and cheery all day long in my house.  Even in the rainy season, the sun shines for some period of time during the day.  One of the first things I do each morning is open the blinds to let all that wonderful sunlight in. 

Another element of sunshine is its warmth.  The abundance of sunshine helps keep Florida warm year-round.  But I can attest to Florida being HOT in the summer.  I have felt the summer sun on my shoulders like an oven’s heat.  I marvel that folks like landscapers can work outside in that heat all day.  My husband and I often joke that when we were northerners, we stayed inside all winter; and now as southerners, we stay inside all summer. All I know is that I am very thankful for air conditioning!! 

We all enjoy the sun’s light and warmth, but like many things in life, we can get too much.  So, we may need to seek relief.  And basically that relief is shade. 

One definition that my friend Merriam Webster gives for “shade” is “shelter (as by foliage) from the heat and glare of sunlight.”  MW calling shade, “shelter” is an indication that we can get too much exposure to the sun’s rays.  Sitting under the grand old oak as our grandparents often did in the summer (before AC) is actually a great idea because God designed trees to not only shade us from the sun’s effects, but also to absorb its energy and release it back in the air as water vapor that evaporates and cools the air around the tree.  A brilliant design! 

So we see that both sunshine and shade are good things.  They are basically opposites, but they work together, and we need both.  Each performs a necessary function, and the two together provide a balance. 

This is true for many things in our lives – being awake and sleeping, working and playing, giving and receiving, being serious and being silly, to name a few.  Think about any of these things in your life.  If you are lop-sided in any of them, your life is out of kilter. 

Think about sleep – sleep deprivation can wreak havoc in our lives.  However, sleeping too much can cause things like headaches and anxiety.  There needs to be a balance.

How about work?  A good work ethic is an admirable quality.  The Bible encourages us to work “heartily as to the Lord”, which means to put your heart into it. (Colossians 3:23)  The Bible also implores us to be good stewards, a job that requires conscientious attention to detail and faithfulness.  But have you ever heard the saying, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”?  There needs to be a balance.

Have you ever been around a super-serious person?  They seldom seem happy, and they rarely laugh.  On the other hand, the lackadaisical person may laugh a lot but accomplishes little.  There needs to be a balance.

Now, considering givers… A genuine giver is to be admired.  Giving generously and thoughtfully is considered a mark of character.  However, if a person never receives, eventually he will have nothing to give.  There needs to be balance. 

These are just a few examples to show how important it is to maintain balance in our lives.  Often our lives seem to swing like a pendulum from one extreme to the other.  I heard someone say this a long time ago and I think of it often; “Yes, I see balance in my life – I see it as I swing by it on my way from one extreme to other.”  That describes my life many times.  Super-busy or nothing to do.  Very happy or really sad.  Excited or bored.  Tired or can’t sleep. 

But then there are the times that everything levels out.  The pendulum rests in the middle and my life is in balance.  There is a happy medium.  There is even keel.  It is a perfect blend of sunshine and shade.  I am busy but rested.  I’m excited but prepared.  I’m happy and thankful.  We live for these times.  And these times make the out-of-balance times tolerable. 

Don’t get me wrong, a happy medium is not boring, nor is even keel mediocre.  Balance is the blending of all of life’s circumstances into a glorious yet comfortable symphony of thoughts and actions.  Balance brings peace of mind.  Balance brings contentment and thankfulness.  Balance keeps us going in the midst of all the craziness around us.   We may not be able to stop the craziness, but we can put it in balance in our lives. 

The most effective way I know to achieve balance in life is to align our thinking with God’s Word.  The Word gives us the wisdom we need to figure things out.  It gives us the strength we need to carry on.  And it gives us the confidence we need to know that we can do it.  And all of this comes from God’s assurance and reassurance that He will take care of us, that He will provide for us, and that He will fight for us.   When our thoughts are harmonious with the thoughts of God’s Word, our lives will be in balance. 

So, enjoy the benefits of the sunshine and the shelter of the shade.  Remind yourself as you swing on life’s pendulum that eventually it will pause in the middle.  And when it does, you can enjoy the balance!

Note to my readers:  Proverbs 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  Thanks for reading! 

A few days ago, on July 4, we celebrated our country’s 246^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.  So, like most of us, I have been thinking about freedom.  Our founding fathers declared our nation’s freedom from the rulership of England’s king by a formal statement, which asserted that the people of this country had the right to choose their own government. 

“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.”  I’m sure that you recognize this quote from the Declaration of Independence.  It is a terrific statement. 

First of all, it talks about truth.  As Christians, we are well acquainted with truth – God’s Word is truth. 

John 17:17

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Isn’t it remarkable that our founding fathers aligned their thinking with truth?  And that they used truth as the basic concept of our nation’s government?  Our country was founded on Biblical principles.  No wonder it is so great!

The Declaration of Independence also mentions our Creator.  There is only one Creator, and that is God.  (None of man’s “creations” could come to pass without utilizing something that God had already created.)  It further states that our Creator endowed us with certain unalienable rights.  Merriam Webster defines “unalienable” as “impossible to take away or give up”.  God-given rights are ours because Jesus Christ paid the necessary price to secure them for us on completely legal grounds.  In other words, the rights that God gave us are guaranteed because our redemption is so legally binding that it cannot be challenged.  God is a just God.

John 8:36

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Our nation’s founding documents are noble proclamations inspired by the Biblical understanding of the writers.  These were men who prayed and asked God to direct their efforts.  Therefore, the content of the documents reflects Biblical principles.  These ideas paved the way for our country to be a uniquely free nation and for that I am thankful. 

Living in a free country allows us the privilege to freely worship.  This is one of our most precious freedoms.  In fact, many of the early settlers came to this country to escape religious persecution.  So we dare not take-for-granted our opportunities to freely share God’s Word.  We need to boldly proclaim and stand for the truth like our founding fathers did.  And we do this, not as a political statement, but because we are fully persuaded that the Word of God is indeed the truth. 

John 8:32

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

It is apparent from these scriptures that we, as Christians are free people.  Jesus Christ paid the price to provide that freedom to us.  We are free from sin, free from fear, and free from the wiles of the devil.  Of course that doesn’t mean that we never sin, or that we are never afraid, or that we are never attacked by the adversary.  But it DOES mean that no matter what happens in this life, we have everything we need to be able to deal with it.  If we get knocked down or fail, we can get up and try again.  And should our life end, we know that we will be raised from the dead when that trumpet sounds.  So what is there to fear?  NOTHING with God Almighty on our side! 

Hebrews 13:5b, 6

… for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

As Christians, we see that our individual freedom is ultimately God-given, therefore no man can take it away.  Whether we live in a free country or under tyrannical rule, we are still free.  BUT how much better life is living in a free nation without religious or other persecution! The freedoms that our nation provides are definitely worth fighting for.  A country built on Godly principles deserves our appreciation, our respect, and our support. 

I am thankful for our country and the freedoms we have.  God had His hand in establishing and maintaining this nation so that His Word could have free course to be spoken and believed.  And whether you are Christian or not, you are free in this country because of the principles on which it was founded.  So rejoice in your liberty and in the country that promotes it.  Stand fast on the truth and be not moved from it.  Enjoy your life as a free American.

2 Corinthians 3:17

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

According to “Lyrics On Demand”, these are the original lyrics for “God Bless America”, written by Irving Berlin in 1918.

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that’s free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.

God bless America,
Land that I love,
Stand beside her, and guide her
Through the night with a light from above.

From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home
God bless America, My home sweet home.

source: https://www.lyricsondemand.com/miscellaneouslyrics/patrioticsongslyrics/godblessamericalyrics.html

Note to my readers:  God bless the USA!  Thanks for reading!

At certain times of the year, the morning sun is at just the right angle to reflect the rippling water of our pool into our kitchen and breakfast area.  It’s one of my favorite things. I often sit with my coffee and watch the show.  The light and shadows of the water’s reflection dance delightfully across the walls and ceiling mimicking the water’s activity.  Something about those fluid waves of light just comforts me.   

That got me thinking about life being fluid.   One definition that Merriam Webster gives to “fluid” is “subject to change or movement”, another is “capable of flowing”.  Those are fairly accurate descriptions of our lives, don’t you think?  Just growing up changes us.  I’m very different from the way I was when I was 5 years old, or 25, or even 45.  Of course that is apparent in my body, but it’s also true of my mind.  I certainly don’t think the same way that I did when I was 5 or 45 for that matter.  Every day I’m learning something and forming new opinions.  My mind is full of new ideas.  If our lives were not fluid, we could not grow.  Nor could we change.  How sad would that be?

As we age, we may look back on our lives with fond memories or maybe with regrets.  One of my go-to sayings is, “If only I knew then what I know now…”.  The implication being that I would have made better choices then because I am smarter now.  But if we are honest, we realize that we wouldn’t be as smart as we are now if we had not done foolish things in the past.  Mistakes are often our best teachers! (So our regrets can be few.)  I often think that I would like to have my 21 year old body again, but NOT my 21 year old mind.  It would be way too hard to go through all that learning again! 

Time is involved in the fluidity of our lives.  The changes in our bodies and our minds take place over time.  And time only flows in one direction – forward.  We cannot go back and change any event or circumstance or decision that occurred in the past.  Our pasts, however, are part of who we are today.  We can’t change our past – it is not fluid.  But we can learn from it.  And we can grow in our understanding of what we have learned.  How often have you changed your mind after your initial reaction to a particular situation?  Perhaps, initially you were mad, but in time you calmed down and thought differently.  Maybe you even reached the point that you could laugh about the situation.  This all happens because of the flow of time and the ability to change.  And since time only flows forward, our future is full of opportunity and promise.  We don’t know what the future holds, but we know that it offers change and movement.  It is fluid. 

Think about movement.  Our physical bodies are fluid, they move – sometimes a lot, sometimes a little.   Time plays a role in our physical activity as well because time brings aging.  For instance, infants have no trouble putting their toes in their mouths.  Their bodies are very flexible.  But I doubt we’ve ever seen a grandmother do that – her body is not as flexible.  (And she has learned that her toes do not belong in her mouth – yuck!)  But the point is that aging brings changes and changes are fluid, even if the changes mean less of something.  When I think of fluid movements, I remember being on vacation with my husband and walking on an exercise path by the ocean.  While we were strolling and enjoying the view, a young lady ran past us.  Her gait was the most beautifully fluid motion that I’ve ever seen.  She must have been a dancer because she actually appeared to float.  It was the epitome of fluid movement and impressive to see.  I will never be that fluid, but I can still move and change! 

In addition to moving our bodies, we may move our location.  I’ve moved several times in my life to new places including entirely new states.  Moving, even down the street is fluid.  It brings many changes – new surroundings, new routines, maybe even a new lifestyle.  All of which bring new experiences and new learning, which add up to fluidity.  I often say that moving out is hard but moving in is fun!  Moving out means packing and sorting and disposing of unnecessary accumulation.  But moving in is unpacking treasures, rearranging, and renewing excitement that may have been mundane previously.  This does not mean that we have to move to be happy, some people may live in one place their whole life, and that is okay.  There are still changes in their lives, just not in location.  But they must take care in that situation to not grow complacent, thus limiting fluidity.  For those of us who have moved multiple times, we must learn to flow with the changes.

Being fluid is necessary in our minds.  People who never change in their mindsets become very rigid (which is the opposite of fluid).  They refute new ideas, and change might even scare them.  Their exposure is limited, and their views are narrow.  This would be like living in the same house for your whole life and never going outside.  So much of what life has to offer would be missed.  But being fluid in our minds brings excitement to our lives.  We look forward to learning new things because we look forward to new experiences and adventures.  We appreciate that we have grown and can continue to grow in our understanding.  Change is welcomed and anticipated.  We would be miserable if we could not change.  What if we could not learn from our mistakes?  What if we could not correct wrong thinking?  What if we never learned anything new?  We would be lost and defeated.  Being fluid gives us choices. 

Now, all of that being said, we must remember one important factor.  Obviously, water is fluid, right?  Water is subject to change or movement, and it flows.  It meets the criteria for being fluid.  BUT, even with all its changing, moving and flowing, water is still water.   It does not change its fundamental properties.   This is also true of us.  Our bodies are fluid. They age, they get bigger, they get smaller, they grow stronger, they grow weaker, but they are still us.  No matter how many times you change your appearance, your body is still you.  So, when you look in the mirror, don’t wish that you could see somebody else.  See and appreciate who you are.  No one else can be you.  You – with all your flaws and shortcomings are the only you there is.  We all know that we are not perfect, but we cannot focus on our flaws and shortcomings.  If there are things that we need to do to take care of ourselves, we need to do them.  If there are positive changes that we want to make, we need to make them.  But we can’t be someone that we are not. 

Who we are is not only our physical vessel, but it is also the convictions that we hold in our hearts.  Those deep-seated beliefs make us who we are on the inside.  And truly, that is far more important than who we are on the outside.  We must cling to our beliefs and never allow ourselves to be talked out of them.  We each have a fundamental concept of right and wrong; truth and error; good and bad.  These concepts not only identify us, but also distinguish us.  As Christians, our knowledge and understanding of God’s Word determine those concepts and set us apart from this world.  We live above the worldly standard and are not subject to its schemes.  Our hearts are steadfastly set on the truth of God’s Word.  We are fluid in our growth of learning and understanding; but the truth of The Word does not change; it is not fluid. Therefore, it is a firm foundation on which we stand.  Growing is a marvelous opportunity that God provided to us because He made life fluid.  We can grow, move, change, and flow and be the person we really want to be.  With God on our side, what’s to stop us? 

Our lives can be like the beautiful reflection of the water’s movement – ever flowing and always changing.  We can grow strong and tall because our lives are fluid, and the future is as bright as the promises of God! 

Note to my readers:  Let your life flow in the abundance of God’s grace and mercy.  Thanks for reading! 

Last week, we rested.  This week, we are going for it! 

We all have probably heard the saying, “Go for it”.  It usually means “take a chance” or “seize an opportunity”.

In my family when we play games, we encourage one another to “go for it” – take a chance.  It is usually in the context of some kind of risk.  For instance, going ‘all in’ in poker, or taking a critical peg out of the Jenga tower.  I will admit that there may be ulterior motives involved in this prompting depending on which team you’re on, but it’s all in good fun.  However, this is not the usage I really want to talk about. 

I often need to encourage myself to “go for it”.  When I face a situation that intimidates or scares me, I need encouragement to seize the opportunity.  New experiences like a job interview, or speaking in front of a group, or even meeting someone for the first time could cause us to feel intimidated or afraid.  So, what should we do?  We should “go for it”!

It’s not uncommon for many of us to be apprehensive about new situations or new environments. The first time for anything can be intimidating because without previous experience to compare it to, we don’t know what to expect.  But we don’t need to be intimidated because we always, always, always have God on our side!  And He is always, always, always ready, willing, and able to help us in any and every situation!  I hope that was stated emphatically enough.  God is constantly seeking to take care of us.  His help is not reserved just for our dire straits, although He really comes through at those times.  He is an ever-present reality in EVERY situation – big or small.

I talked about God’s help first because quite frankly, I don’t know how to face challenges without it.  The unknown that may be daunting to us, is known to God.  The challenges that may seem overwhelming to us, are well within God’s abilities.  Counting on His constant care certainly lifts the weight off our shoulders!  However, we know that we are not marionettes to God.  He is not pulling our strings to make us do things.  It is up to us to take the necessary action and “go for it”.  Then God is able to guide our steps and alleviate our fears according to our believing in Him.  When challenges arise, we can always rely on God to have our backs. 

This then emboldens us to “go for it”.  We can seize the opportunities with which we are presented because the confidence we need is not limited to our abilities alone.  That is not to say that we don’t have abilities, we all have wonderful strengths.  But no matter how strong or smart or capable we are, God is more.  God told King Jehoshaphat that the battle was not his, but God’s (2 Chronicles 20:15).  Don’t you think that God feels the same way about our battles?  And if you read the account of Jehoshaphat’s battle, the Israelites didn’t even have to fight, the enemies destroyed themselves.  That’s how big God can deliver! 

To “go for it” isn’t limited to just new challenges, we may have to encourage ourselves in the face of ongoing hardships, or day to day stresses.  Somedays, it may take us “going for it” just to get out of bed.  We almost always have to “go for it” when we are trying to change bad habits or improve our lifestyle.  But God helps in these trials as well.  He cares about the smallest details of our lives just as much as He cares about the biggest ones.  He desires that His children prosper and be in health (3 John 2).  God wants us to succeed in all of our endeavors.  So what is there that we can’t “go for it” to do? 

We may not win every time we “go for it”.  For example, you didn’t get the job you interviewed for. You still succeeded in not being intimidated by the interview process. That’s a victory in itself.  And maybe that was not the best job for you anyway.  In this kind of situation, we must still trust that God is working for us.  He sees the BIG picture that we cannot. So, if we didn’t win in a particular situation, why not think that God must have something better in store for us?  Sometimes a situation like this might discourage us. But if that happens, we can regroup and “go for it” again.  If we don’t quit, we won’t lose.

Every success builds confidence – and confidence enables us to “go for it”.  When that confidence is fully infused with trusting God to supply, we can be unstoppable!  Remembering that you and God make a majority in any situation is a surefire boost to our confidence!  And whether we win when we “go for it” or it doesn’t turn out the way we wanted, God still never leaves us nor forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5).  So, no matter what you’re facing, why not “go for it” and see what God will do for you!  

Note to my readers:  Philippians 4:13 – “Go for it”!  Thanks for reading!