Beauty in your life- change your thoughts for a positive outlook
On what subject(s) are you an authority?
I don’t feel like I am an authority over any subject. Learning is a journey it is a continuous process of gaining knowledge and skills which never stops because life never stops teaching us.
The authority I have is in Christ I have the authority to resist and overcome evil. And this authority comes from the power of Jesus, who conquered sin and death through His death and resurrection.
What’s your definition of romantic?
My definition of romantic would be going up to the mountains in a 4 wheel drive pick-up truck mudding, fishing, and for dinner cooking the fish we caught over an open fire.
Some people say, “Just do it” It sounds easy right? There is something to be said for spontaneity. But some choices in life require deep thought and prayer. Or we find ourselves facing the consequences of our poor choices. That’s where discernment comes in.
Discernment is a time-honored practice that honors God’s will in our lives. It is an interior search that seeks to align our will with the will of God in order to learn what God calls us to do.
Every choice we make, no matter how small, is an opportunity to align ourselves with God.
An example of this is, I had a bone density test last week. It’s a test that shows how bridle your bones are -whether you have osteoporosis. Mine was good. The doctor wanted me to take injections right away. I told the nurse I had to pray over it, as well as research the side effects. And I would let them know. Every medication, treatment, or surgery has negatives.
It’s good to talk to other people and do your research but at some point, it’s crucial to take some time to be alone with your thoughts and with God. It’s important to invite God into your decision-making process.
When making a decision start with what you know. Lay out all the facts in front of you so you can deal with the known before you delve into the unknown.
Be honest and tell God about your fears and your desires. Then let God speak to you. Most of us don’t hear a voice when He speaks to us. It’s important to pay attention to your thoughts, and feelings. I noticed whether I am at peace with the decision or I am anxious or nervous.
Know that God always has a plan for you. Remind yourself often that you are not on your own and you don’t have to yell, scream, or cry to get His attention He’s here to help you in your decisions always.
Pray that He will show you what to do. And as hard as it is pray for His will to be done and for Him to give you the strength you need to continue to discern His will and follow it.
If the decision can wait, continue to pay attention to your feelings to see which direction you are being drawn to.
At some point, you need to act. After you have sought God’s will, set forth to obey what God has shown you.
Discernment can help you when you face decisions. Making good decisions can be difficult at times, but when you trust the Holy Spirit is with you, He will guide you and help you choose what is good and true.
How do you express your gratitude?
I have a very close friend circle that I stay close to. They are the ones J can trust. So naturally I show gratitude to them often. I often buy flowers or bring them items I’ve baked or take them out to lunch when I appreciate things that have done. Everyone else that does things that I appreciate I say thank you.
Practicing gratitude has incredible effects from improving our mental health to improving our relationships with others. It’s a game-changer that has far-reaching effects. There are two key components to practicing gratitude. The first is we affirm the good things we’ve received and the second is we acknowledge the role other people play in providing our lives with goodness.
What do you do when you’re faced with disappointment, disaster, or despair? Scripture teaches us that,
“We know all things work together for good to them that love God” – Romans 8:28.
God shapes us through trials. Trials are an inevitable part of our lives as humans, we cannot escape them. They come in various forms and can shake us to our core.
However, in the middle of every trial, we have a faithful, loving God who invites us to lean on Him for strength, comfort, and guidance.
Trials expose our hearts, they remove the impurities from our lives -those things that keep us from bringing glory to God as we should. But there are things we need to understand about trials and our responses.
God doesn’t allow us to go through trials to trip us up, He designs them to strengthen and purify us. Job said, in 23:10, “When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”
We sometimes have unbiblical perspectives when we experience trails and suffering. We can believe:
So, since God has allowed whatever we experience and it’s for our good, how should we respond,?
One thing I’ve learned through all the trials I’ve been in, it’s that we are accountable for our responses no matter how we feel. We respond in ways that please God, and no matter what our circumstances we reach our goal,
I long time ago I went to my pastor because I was going through one trial after another. It was becoming cumbersome. He gave me the best advice I could have gotten. He said, “Pray and ask God what He wants to teach you.” I found that being focused on God instead of the trial helps you grow and allows Him to guide you to the next step.
2 Corinthians 5:9-10 says,
“Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well-pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each on may receive according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
It’s easy to justify wrong responses during a trial, God gives us grace to us when we respond rightly.
We should just pray to get through the trial by “hanging in there” and somehow get through our trials by suffering through it. We should ask God to help us grow in the middle of difficulty and become more like Jesus. James, 1:2-4 says for us to,
“Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have it’s perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing.”
We may not always rejoice in the suffering, we may rejoice in the fact that a sovereign God can work through the trial.
I can look back and see how God had used other trials for my good, and how I’ve grown in faith and learned to trust Him, in spite of my trials, because of them. I bet you can too when you remember past trials.
Some of the why’s God allows trials
“But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For he who eats in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason, many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.”
It’s important to take the Lord’s supper (communion) as a reminder of the importance of examining ourselves, self-examination is something we should do on a regular basis.
Because people fail to confess and turn away from their sins, they suffer many trials. God chastens us because He loves us. No Chastening is joyful for the present but painful, nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it. James 15:2 says,
“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes that it may bear more fruit.“
We live in a failed world and trials encourage us to long for heaven.
What are you most worried about for the future?
“For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:1).
I am not worried about the future because I trust God’s promises. While I know things will get tough, as long as I obey God everything will be okay.
Worry is neither insignificant nor inconsequential, it is absolutely inconsequential to faith.
A connection between idols (false gods) and demons (evil spirits) is seen in Deuteronomy 32:16-17,
“They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations, they provoked him to anger. They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known, to new gods that had come recently, whom your fathers never dreaded.’
I read somewhere in Hebrew text there is something called Synonymous parallelism which involves the deposition in the second part of what has already been expressed in the first, while simply sharing the words. I think it is done here in the verse above demons and strange gods are the same. It connects pagan worship with evil spirits. The false gods are in contrast with the true God, the Rock in Deuteronomy 15;17.
There is another important connection in Leviticus 17:7,
“They shall no more offer their sacrifices to demons, After whom they have played the harlot.”
Here these demons are other gods were worshipped by surrounding cultures. Demons were equaled with pagan gods in this passage.
It is no coincidence that demonic activity is associated with religions that embrace a multitude of gods and goddesses. A desire to have contact with the “spirit world” often focuses people on supernatural power apart from the power God offerss through a relationship with Jesus and Holy Spirit.
Satan desires to be worshipped (Matthew 4:9), and demons teach false doctrine to deceive (1 Timothy 4;1). Those who worship false gods are, wittingly or unwittingly, pledging their attendance to evil spirits who desire to usurp God’s rightful place in our hearts.
Whatever we serve more than God is an idol. and an idol should be nothing. It would not have power over us. This is where satan and his demons have true power over us. The love of money, the love of alcohol, drugs, sex, the list goes on and on. (1 Corinthians 8:4; Mark 5:7-8).
What makes a teacher great?
A great teacher must have patience, empathy, adaptability, and have a continuous learning mindset, and the ability to connect with every student.
Every student has their own set of strengths and needs. Great teachers must have the ability to align with those strengths and needs.
Like students, teachers are constantly learning and growing. Keeping students involved in what they are learning is a big step. I also believe that teachers who involve the parents are important.
The “Oh I will drop my kid at school and forget about them” is not a great way that leads to a student succeeding. While I realize parents are very busy these days. Reaching out to parents in any way they can is important.
Students become successful when they know they have support from their parents and the schools.
We must have a strong mind if we are to overcome the obstacles we meet in everyday life. It takes more than talent or skill to lead a powerful life. Research indicates that intelligence accounts for only 30% of our achievement.
A strong mind that pushes through adversity is what is needed to live in today’s culture. It’s an inner quality that enables people to work hard and stick to their goals.
The good news is that a strong mind is not something we are born with. It is something that can be developed. There are characteristics that a strong mind possesses. They embody 4 elements:
1. Confidence
2. Persistence
3. Dedication
4. Control
How can we create a strong mind that is the trademark of those people who live large in a world full of possibilities?
Here are a few things I’ve been learning in my own life. I’m a work in progress.
1. Confidence. We have to work on confidence every day. When you improve a little each day eventually bigger things will come. Seek out small improvements, one day at a time, then when it happens it will last. Confidence in ourselves and our abilities will make us successful.
Confidence is a belief in yourself and your ability to meet your goals. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and expose yourself to different situations. Learn how to push through the uncomfortable. Once you have confidence in yourself, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish.
I can sit in a room full of people talking and not say a word. I am completely comfortable with it. It’s how I was raised “To be seen and not heard.” But I know I have to push myself out of that comfort zone if I’m going to get anywhere in life.
2. Persistence. Every time I get knocked down I get back up. A strong mind isn’t built on something slapped together on a shallow foundation. It needs a solid rock. Like a tree, the higher you want it to go, the deeper you have to plant the roots.
Persistence is the tendency to see life obstacles as challenges to be met, rather than threats. Don’t whine or complain, or point fingers, or blame others for your predicament. Work on being the hero of your own life and choose your destiny.
3. Dedication. It’s important to proactively seek out learning opportunities and maintain a positive attitude when working towards a goal. Be a disciple of your own deep values and beliefs.
Strong-minded people have a dedication that comes from a purpose in alignment with their deepest values.
4. Control. A strong mind shuts out feelings of fear and inadequacy. And focuses on how to reach the goal. It’s important to control your emotions, thoughts, and behavior rather than trying to control other people.
I have found the best way to control your situation is to invest energy into it so that you will understand all the aspects of the situation. This allows you to pinpoint every part of the challenge. It’s important to throw out the preconceived ideas of what you can, and cannot do.
When you train yourself mentality to prepare for the worst and practice ahead of time to overcome it. Control is having a certainty that you are able to shape your destiny and not passively accepting events as fate.
From Pity to Praise