For one of my daily readings today, I was enlightened with the following:
I'm slipping when I begin taking another person's inventory, not mine.
~ Anonymous
It seems so much easier to live someone else's life than it is to live our own. We can see someone else's faults much more clearly than our own. We can tell someone else how to correct a character defect, and not work on our own. It is easier to take someone else's inventory than it is to take our own. These are all clues to why we have had so much trouble in our lives.
These things are all danger signs. Our very best thinking got us into this Fellowship. Most of us earned our seats around the table by totally mismanaging the affairs of our lives. We have enough on our plates trying to sort out the will of our Highter Power in our own lives. We have no business trying to run anyone else's.
If I persist in trying to live another person's life, I am likely to stop my spiritual progress. Let me remember to keep tabs on my own faults and let others take care of their own.
The decision to share with others may not make sense to the world. We share out of obedience to God's Word; it says we are to help others. We accept the needs of others as our own. Anyone who gives willingly receives a blessing that comes only with true love. God will honor your attitude more than the amount.
" '. . .to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me. . . to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'"(Matthew 25:40,44 NASB).
We find that our Higher Power is doing for us what we can't do for ourselves. We have given up being "manipulators and operators" to become "true cooperators." We have hope for a better tomorrow.
The sick and tired existence of being sick and tired has finally come to an end.
Our world is in a state of constant change. God is not. At times, the world seems to be trembling beneath our feet. But we can be comforted in the knowledge that our Heavenly Father is the rock that cannot be shaken. His Word promises, "I am the Lord, I do not change" (Malachi 3:6 NKJV)
Every day that we live, we mortals encounter a multitude of changes - some good, some not so good. And on occasion, all of us must endure life-changing personal losses that leave us breathless. When we do, our loving Heavenly Father stands ready to protect us, to comfort us, to guide us, and, in time, to heal us.
Are you facing difficult circumstances or unwelcome changes? If so, please remember that God is far bigger than any problem you may face. So, instead of worrying about life's inevitable challenges, put your faith in the Father and His only begotten Son: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). And rest assured: It is precisely because your Savior does not change that you can face your challenges with courage for this day and hope for the future.
Usually, I'll give the Thought for the day, here today I find myself blogging about two seperate thoughts, but both play hand in hand with one another...
Living Above the Daily Whine
Do everything readily and cheerfully - no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breat of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimps of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night.
Phillipians 2:14-15 MSG
Because we are imperfect human beings, we often lose sight of our blessings. Ironically, most of us have more blessings than we can count, but we may still find reasons to complain about the minor frustrations of every day life. To do so, of course, is not only wrong; it is also the pinnacle of shortsightedness and a serious roadblock on the path to spiritual abundance.
Are you tempted to complain about the inevitable minor frustations of everyday living? Don't do it! Today and every day, make it a practice to count your blessings, not your hardships. It's the truly decent way to live.
A Thought to Jump Start Your Day The purity of motive determines the quality of action.
*To follow that daily thought, I couldn't help but follow with this next one, as I mentioned, they go hand in hand.
More Opportunities Than We Can Count Everything is possible for him who believes.
Mark 9:23 NIV
Whether you realize it or not, opportunites are whirling around you like stars crossing the night sky: beautiful to observe but too numerous to count. Yet you may be too wrapped up in the daily grind to notice.
Take time to step back from the challenges of everyday living so that you can focus your thoughts on two things: the talents God has given you and the opportunities that He has placed before you. God is leading you in the direction of those opportunities. Your task is to watch carefully, to pray fervently, and to act accordingly.
A Thought to Jump Start Your Day Unbelief keeps us livng beneath the possiblities that God dreamed for our lives.
*I have noticed that myself and many people around me complain about the minor frustrations of every day life and we tend to forget all the blessings we have been given, and the many opportunites that God has laid before us. Stop and take a few steps back, look around, things could be so much worse.
Which reminds me, I love the new song by Mandisa...
Verse 1:Been a hard one, Been a bad one Been a tough one, Been a sad one It's been one of those days that keeps chipping away at my heart Nothing new here, It's what I do here its a stereotypical day, in the life I'm surrounded by all of the pain and the strife but I know it's alright, woah oh
Chorus:Cause it's only the world i'm living in It's only today i've been given There ain't no way i'm giving in Cause it's only the world (only the world) I know the best is still yet to come Cause even when my days in the world are done There's gonna be so much more than only the world for me
do do do do do do do do do, yeah its only the world
Verse 2:Anybody can you hear me? Do you feel me? I mean, do you feel me? I know I'm not the only one wearing the weight in this world We got problems (said it's alright) Just remember (yeah, it's alright) Take a good look around we're just stuck on the ground for a little while Don't it make you smile
Chorus:Cause it's only the world i'm living in (Yeah) It's only today i've been given(Yeah) There ain't no way i'm giving in Cause it's only the world (only the world) I know the best is still yet to come Cause even when my days in the world are done There's gonna be so much more than only the world for me
do do do do do do do do do, yeah its only the world do do do do do do do do do, yeah its only the world
Bridge:Heaven is a place where the tears on every face will be wiped away And I can't wait to go, but for now it's enoughto know This is only temporary this is only, Yeah, Alright!
Chorus:Cause it's only the world i'm living in It's only the day i've been given There ain't no way i'm giving in Cause it's only the world (only the world) I know the best is still yet to come Cause even when my days in the world are done There's gonna be so much more than only the world for me Cause it's only the world i'm living in It's only today I've been given There ain't no way i'm giving in Cause it's only the world (only the world) I know the best is still yet to come Cause even when my days in the world are done There's gonna be so much more than only the world for me (So much more than only the world, yeah)
do do do do do do do do do, yeah its only the world do do do do do do do do do, yeah its only the world
We have all been called upon at one time or another to help a loved one through a difficult time. When the help required consists of concrete actions, such as running errands or making phone calls, we know what to do. But sometimes we are called simply to hold space for the person as they go through whatever they need to go through. They may need to express anger or grief; they may need to talk or be silent. They may need us to hold their hand; they may need us to give them time alone. Whatever the case, when we hold space for someone, we offer ourselves up as a container for the overwhelming feelings they may be encountering due to their circumstances.
When we offer ourselves in this way, the more centered and grounded we are, the better. Our steadiness allows our companion to lean into us for support, as our presence provides an environment in which they can be free to move. We can also help by being responsive, allowing them to dictate the flow of action from talking to not talking, from anger to grief, and back again. By being aware and open, we can help them confront their feelings when that feels right, and back off from them when they need a break. Holding space requires humility, conscientiousness, and the ability to step out of the way, to honestly understand that this is not about us.
When we love someone in this way, we provide a space in which they can simply be. Able to feel what they need to feel without worrying about how they are being perceived. We can provide this offering in person, over the phone, or even from a distance, through meditation. However we do it, when we hold space for someone in need, we are offering a gift of the highest nature.
As I woke up this morning at 5:55 am, I found myself praying for my children, I will always follow my prayer for my children with a prayer for my family and their families... how often, though, do we forget to pray for our friends and their families, thier trials and tribulations? We think of them as we go through our day, but how often do we put them in our prayers or thank God for their friendship and for bringing them in to our lives? They are a blessing indeed.
In all my years, I can count on one hand my true friends... I'm blessed. This week alone, I have seen a few friends of mine go through some trials, let downs, disappointments, grief even.
A woman at work that I greet every morning as we go to the dining room and get ready for our day, lost her mother yesterday. Her mother lives in Columbia, she was told that she was gravely ill and not improving. She was not in any situation to pull the money together ($1,200.00 in american money) to go and be by her side. The Gangrene had already taken her leg, up to her knee... they realized after the amputation that it had taken a life of its' own in the rest of her body. All I could do was offer my prayers to her and her family and if it was any comfort, I gave her my cross pendant. My prayers go out to her family and friends.
I have recently, I say recently, but... in 2005, I gained a Best Friend off of MySpace. She has truly been a blessing for me as I now have someone that I can turn to on my days of trials and tribulations for comfort and understanding, I can only hope that I can show "trustworthiness, loyalty, helpfulness, kindness, understanding, forgiveness, encouragement, humor, and cheerfulness ".
There are two other friends that have still stayed in touch and remain very dear friends since my days of being a school bus driver in 1998. Then I have another dear friend that we have been friends since Grade School. We don't talk every day, or once a week, but we know that the other is there when we really need eachother. We speak maybe once a month to every other month. So with that in mind... I leave you all with todays Daily Devotion.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Romans 12:10 NIV What is a friend? the dictionary defines the word as "a person who is attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard." This definition is accurate, as far as it goes, but when we examine the deeper meaning of friendship, so many more descriptors come to mind: trustworthiness, loyalty, helpfulness, kindness, understanding, forgiveness, encouragement, humor, and cheerfulness to mention but a few. How wonderful are the joys of friendship! Today, as you consider the many blessings that God has given you, remember to thank Him for the friends He has chosen to place along your path. May you be a blessing to them, and may they richly bless you today, tomorrow, and every day that you live. A Thought to Jump Start Your Day A person who really cares about his or her neighbor, a person who genuinely loves others, is a person who bears witness to the truth. Anne Graham Lotz
What is it that is too unimportant to pray about yet too big for God to handle? The answer, of course, is: "nothing." yet sometimes, when the challenges of the day seem overwhelming, we may spend more time worrying about our troubles than praying about them. And, we may spend more time fretting about our problems than solving them. A far better strategy is to pray as if everything depended entirely upon God and to work as if everything depended entirely upon us.
What we see as problems God sees as opportunities. And if we are to trust Him completely, we must acknowledge that even when our own vision is dreadfully impaired, His vision is perfect. Today and every day, let us trust God by courageously confronting the things that we see as problems and He sees as possibilities.
A Thought to Jump Start Your Day
We are all faced with a series of great opportunities, brilliantly disguised as unsolvable problems. Unsolvable without God's wisdom, that is.
In personal finance, a grace period is defined as the period during which no interest is charged on a credit card. Or, it is the additional period of time a lender or insurance policy issuer provides for a borrower to make payment on a debt without penalty.
Now, let's take a look at the definition of grace. Webster's Dictionary defines grace as divine favor, liking, good will or postponement as of a penalty or obligation; clemency.
The Word of God says in John 1:14 that "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Through Jesus Christ, we receive never-ending grace. Much like a grace period, we had a debt that we could not pay and Jesus stepped in and took care of our bill. Instead of us having to make that payment, it was made for us. We faced a penalty, but through God's "divine favor" (grace) we were spared from having to pay for our sins. We have been granted clemency through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We were once all prisoners, but we were pardoned by a God who loved us so much that he allowed his son to die for us.
It is almost unbelievable how much God loves us. His grace and never-ending favor for His children is truly mind blowing. So remember today that as a child of God, His grace pours down on you. No matter how much you screw up, He forgives you and loves you. His grace is sufficient and His love is never-ending.
I made my journey very clear from the beginning of this blog, how I found myself on this journey since 2005. In this journey, I have run in to a few reading materials to help me in my journey. Here is one that I found very helpful in confirming what I just recently realized. I have not allowed myself to "simply be". I have continued to look back and forward constantly to see where I'm going or where I've been... Hopefully this can be of some enlightenment for others.
In order to be more spiritually aware, set aside time to strip away the unnecessary traidition or dogma and in an ultimate distillation the truth will be found.
Spiritual awareness or spiritual awakening is the process by which we begin to explore our own being in order to become whole and reunite our spirits with our physical bodies in a commonality of purpose.
No matter whether you are just starting on your serach or have been an invertebrate traveler on the spiritual awareness path, the answers you seek have always been with you. Perhaps in your seeking spiritual awareness you have been seduced by a process and simply not allowed yourself time to become aware. Put aside all restrictions and limitations and allow yourself to see your spirit. It is you, there, awaiting your rediscovery.
Stop! Be Still! Listen to your heart and the love you have for self and others and know your truth.
