One thing I’ve learned throughout my life is that people wear masks. Being an observer is much better than being a talker.
A person shows their true character when they let their guard down and their masks slip off.
A person who is kind to you but not to others is not genuinely kind and is potentially a calculating person, because their behavior suggests they are acting with a specific self-serving motive, potentially to gain something from you by appearing kind while not extending that same courtesy to others.
I once went out to lunch with a friend who invited some of her friends. They seemed nice enough when I met them before lunch but when we sat down and the waitress came to our table, it was a different scenario. They were rude and condescending to her. I couldn’t believe what I was watching. My first thought was the poor waitress having to listen to them spew ugliness out of their mouths. And my second thought was, I needed to get out of there as soon as possible.
As I was leaving I got the waitresses attention and apologized to her for having to deal with them. To say the least I never associated with them after that.
There is no need to surround yourself with that kind of people. Don’t be afraid of pushing these kind of people away.
“Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what I’d good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear” -Ephesians 4:29
Cities have generally higher crime rates than rural areas. With that in mind, I would not been too keen on visiting a city unless I had completely prepared for it.
Always have someone who could handle themselves with me, as well as knowing the areas not to go to.
That being said I would like to visit New Orleans and Florida, as well as South Carolina, I have a niece in South Carolina, whom I haven’t seen in a few years.
We are all builders whether we realize it or not. We are constantly building someone or something. Our buildings could be our own lives, children, families, homes, careers, businesses, work churches.
Although God gives us someone or something to build, He is the builder of all things.
“For every house is built by someone, but he who builds all things is God” -Hebrews 3:4
Whenever God calls us to build for Him, He is simply calling us into building a partnership with Him.
As co-builders with God, we are not expected to build anything independently of God. Sadly many people today are building without any respect for God -His plan, proceeds, pattern, principle, or purpose.
Although everyone is a builder, not everyone is a wise builder.
So, how do we know if we are wise builders or foolish builders?
There are primary only two ways to know, by the tests we have in his life and by God‘s response.
A wise builder:
A wise builder is someone who builds according to God‘s plan or pattern, following God’s instructions and principles, what you build will withstand the tests, trials and pressures of life.
No matter what comes against your life, your relationships,, your home, family, career, or business, if it is built on God solid foundation, and according to God’s pattern, it will stand and not fall apart, crumble, or collapse.
Jesus gives us an example of this in Matthew 7:24-27:
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock, and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who builds his house on the sand, and he said descended the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house. And it fell, and great was its fall.”
You are a wise builder if you are conforming to Jesus’s teachings and example.
Many marriages, homes, families, businesses, and even churches are falling apart today not because Satan has become wiser, stronger, or fiercer in his attacks that he used to be, but because independently of God and in utter disregard of God’s building plans, patterns, and principles.
When someone chooses to build, run, or manage their marriage, home, family, business, or career, according to the wisdom pattern, waves and principles of this world, whatever he builds cannot withstand the attacks of Satan or the pressures of life, but will eventually fall apart and collapse (Matthew 7:26-27).
If God takes delight what you have built and fills it with His awesome presence and glory then you are a wise builder.
For followers of God, the ultimate end or purpose of whatever we build is God‘s glory. But if God rejects what we have built and refuses to fill it with His presence, then we are foolish builders, and have not built according to God‘s pattern.
Sadly, God‘s awesome glory and present is visibly absent today in many homes, families,careers, businesses, and churches. this is simply showing that we are not building today according to God‘s plans, patterns, and principles.
God always shows His delight and approval of anything we build according to His specifications, plans, or principles but in dwelling and feeling it with His awesome presence and glory.
Before Moses started to build the tabernacle for God in the wilderness, he was called up to the mountain where God sold him the divine design, plan pattern, and specifications for His tabernacle.
Afterward, Moses was instructed:
“And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain” – Exodus 25:40
When Moses had finished building and setting up the tabernacle, according to God’s specifications, God showed His delight approval by His glory filling the tabernacle.
Apparently, Moses was a wise builder, for God and habitant and feel this tabernacle he built with His glory. Moses was a wise builder.
If we examine our home marriage, family, career, business, or churches, and we cannot visibly see, perceive or discern God’s glory, then you are not building in conformity to God’s specifications.
If we cannot see this in our lives, maybe we should go and ask God for wisdom and receive His blueprint or pattern for He has called us to do.
God said loud and clear from heaven:
“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him” -Matthew 17:5
We cannot build anything to God delight, without knowing Jesus, leaving in Jesus, surrendering to Jesus, listening to Jesus, and conforming to Jesus’s teachings and examples.
In my opinion this is what is wrong in the world today. Until we put God first this will continue.
God is the Master Weaver. His ability to intricately weave together the threads of people’s lives, even through difficult circumstances to create a beautiful and meaningful tapestry, signifies that He has a plan and purpose for each individual, even when the details seem chaotic or unclear. God is in control and works behind the scenes to bring good, even when we are unable to see it.
Just like a skilled weaver carefully selecting and intertwining different color threads to create a complex pattern. He weaves together our experiences and events in our lives, both the joyful and the painful to make a unique and meaningful tapestry.
I find it amazing that He took my broken-down world and turned it into something beautiful and meaningful. But only God could do that. This is why I choose to have faith and trust in Him wholeheartedly. I know I am sitting behind the tapestry wall, while He creates something more precious than rubies (Proverbs 3:15). Even when I don’t understand the current challenge I face. Because ultimately, He is the one guiding the process.
“To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes. The oil of joy for mourning. The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. That they may be called trees of righteousness. The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified” -Isaiah 61:3.
I would hope people will say I’m strong but compassionate.
Throughout my life I’ve fought through some pretty rough things. I’ve experienced some things that would either make me strong or destroy me. But I also have a big heart and can relate to what most people go through. And have the ability to listen when I don’t quite understand.
Everyone has struggles in life, every one has been through painful experiences. It’s not our job to judge. That’s God’s job. I believe God judges what’s inside our hearts. We are here to love and help others through our challenges. To be here for each other.
Tell us about your first day at something — school, work, as a parent, etc.
When I began going to church, I was not saved and actually thought it would be like all the other churches I tried going to. It was going to be a message about God, praying and then walking out and getting on with my life.
This church was different. It had a different vibe to it. I didn’t know what it was. After about the third time going a lady, a stranger brought me a brand new Bible.
But I wasn’t automatically saved and wasn’t really feeling anything, after a year I was baptized with water. Not because I felt anything, but because I knew I didn’t have a chance of getting into heaven until I was.
It was three years of reading my Bible, praying and asking for forgiveness every day. Until one day, I knew I was forgiven and God loved and cared for me. The first day I knew everything that my mother said to me was a lie, to make me feel not loved or cared for.
It was like a consuming fire came over me. The Holy Spirit’s presence came inside of me. It was a powerful, purifying fire that burned away my sin and cleansed my heart. My entire body felt warm, and I knew God had forgiven me. It was the most powerful thing that ever happened to me. It wasn’t drugs or alcohol. It was a day I had gone grocery shopping, a day I asked forgiveness for all my sins.
It was that day I knew God loved and forgave me. Because of that day, I will never deny Him because He transformed my life, and made me a new person.
Traumatic experiences are unwelcome, intruders that leave deep scars on the hearts and mind of those touches.
Weather is a child who has experienced abuse, a parent, struggling with the impact of witnessing their child suffer, or professional who bears the weight of others pain in their line of work, the aftermath of trauma can be overwhelming.
But I miss the darkness. There is a source of light, comfort, and healing, that transcends the human understanding -faith in God.
Trauma shakes the very foundation of our lives, and often leads us to feelings of isolation, hopelessness, and sometimes questioning the presence of God in the midst of such pain. it creates a deep scent of disconnection not only from others, but also from God. Many perceive, this distant or absence when we experience. It’s why people when they’re struggling feel like they’re struggling all alone, even when numerous people tell them we’re here for you.
The emotional and psychological impact of trauma challenge us all, it leads us to wrestle with difficult questions: “Why is this happening to me? Where is God? Does God even care? All questions I’ve asked in the past.
The Bible is rich with examples of individuals who faced immense suffering, and found their strength through the solace in the relationship with God. These accounts serve as powerful reminders that trauma, is not foreign to God’s people, but more importantly that God is intimately aware of an involved in our healing process.
If we look at the book of Job, we see Joe’s life was marked by tremendous loss, his family, his wealth, and his health. Yet, in the middle of his anguish, Job remained steadfast on his faith. He questioned, he lamented, and he even despaired, but he never turned away from God, even when his “friends” were judging him for his actions. JT us they’re in the face of unimaginable pain, maintaining a relationship with God and provide a foundation for endurance and eventual restoration.
With all the trauma in my life I chose to not follow God at times even hating him for what I went through, not only for the things I had no control over, but also for the things I chose to do to myself. It took me over 30 years to come to my senses and wake up to the fact that God was the answer not the cause. I’m not sure it was stupidity or stubbornness that kept me blind to this fact this long. I have always had the mentality that “I can do it all by myself, I don’t need anyone’s help.”
King David is often referred to as “a man after God’s own heart.” Yet he experienced significant traumas throughout his life, including betrayal, loss, and the constant threat of death. The Psalms are filled with raw expressions of pain and confusion. In Psalm 22 David cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? This statement echoes, the feelings of abandonment and despair that mini trauma survivors experience. In David’s darkest moments He continually turned to God, and seeker His presence while trusting in His goodness. The Psalms are not only a testament to David’s faith, but also an affirmation that God welcomes our honest emotions, including our anger, fear, and doubt.
While, sometimes our drama can feel like the end of the world, faith in God assures us that it’s not the final word. Jesus is suffering on the cross with the ultimate victory over Sin and death, so can our pain teach us there is a deeper experience of God‘s grace, and a greater capacity for empathy and compassion for others.
Romans 8:28 tells us,
“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to His purpose.”
This doesn’t mean that trauma is good, but it does affirm that God come bring good out of even the most painful experiences.
Understanding trauma through spiritual winds means, recognizing that our suffering is not overlooked by God. Instead, it is acknowledged, met with compassion and woven into His greater plan for our lives.
Faith plays across the role in the healing process for those of us who have experienced trauma. Faith is not just a belief in God’s existence, but a deep personal relationship with a loving and compassionate Creator.
The aftermath of trauma, the path to healing can often feel insurmountable. The emotional, psychological, and even physical toll can drain us. Faith becomes a indispensable source of strength that provides resilience and hope which offers as a foundation to which we can rebuild and recover.
Human strength, while admirable, is inherently finite. It is subject to the limit of our physical bodies, the bounds of our emotional endurance, and the constraint of our psychological resilience. Trauma its very nature can push these limits to a breaking point, leading us feeling depleted, weak, and incapable of moving forward. The strength that comes from having faith in God becomes essential.
Divine strength is different from human strength and several key ways. First of all it’s inexhaustible. Where human strength falters, God’s strength is always available and never diminishes. Isaiah 40:29-31 captures this concept:
“He gives power to the weak. He increases strength of him who has no might. Even the youths faint and get weary, and the young men utterly fall. But those who wait for the Lord will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not be weary. They will walk and not faint.”
This promise ensures us that no matter how drained we may feel God strength is sufficient to sustain us.
Divine strength is not contingent on our circumstances. Human strength, often abs and flows, depending on our environment, our emotions, and our physical condition, but God’s strength is constant and unchanging. It is not dependent on how we feel or what we are going through. It is wicked and God, eternal nature, which is steadfast and unmovable.
This means that even in the our darkest moments of trauma when everything else seems uncertain and chaotic, we can trust that God’s strength remains a reliable source of support.
Leaning on God’s strength involves more than just acknowledging His power, it requires an active and intentional reliance on Him. It begins with an attitude of humility, recognizing our own limitations and the need for divine intervention.
This can seem difficult, especially for those who are used to being self reliant, to admit that they need help.
Scripture encourages us to cast our burdens on the Lord, knowing that He cares for us and is willing to carry the load that we cannot bear on our own.
When we consciously surrender our struggles to God and asked for His strength to face each day, He is able to lead us and guide us to our healing. This involves immersing ourselves in the scripture, finding comfort and encouragement in the verses that remind us of God‘s power and faithfulness.
We can surround ourselves with a faith community that supports us and reminds us of God‘s promises when we are too weary to hold onto them ourselves.
Healing from traumatic experiences often means confronting painful memories, emotions, and realities. it is an exhausting and daunting task, that sometimes seems impossible to endure in our human strength alone. But with faith, each step becomes more manageable, not because the journey is any less challenging, because our burdens are shared with Jesus.
When we say, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me,” we do not claim that we have the power to overcome trauma on our own, but rather that we are empowered by the strength of Jesus to endure, persevere, and ultimately heal.
Relying on God, strength did more than help me survive. trauma. It gave me the power to transform from my suffering. what I chose to put my trust in God and draw from his strength I was able to see my circumstances in the new light. I seen my challenges, become opportunities for spiritual growth, deepening my faith and my relationship with God.
Our weaknesses can become a place where God’s power is most evident, not a source of frustration.
Have you ever performed on stage or given a speech?
I have learned a few things from speaking in front of large groups of people in my life. First of all it’s important to know your audience. Consider who you’re speaking to and what they want to know about.
This is probably a no brainer, but practice what you’re going to say. It’s helps you remember what you’re going to say, and helps you stay on track. Have sone notes if possible in case you get sidetracked.
Body lands pays a key role in showing confidence and can empathize key points of what you’re saying. P
I read a article once about a 20 minute rule. The attention span of any audience is 20 minutes beyond that their ability to focus tends to decline and listeners may become disengaged.
You may not use these tips if you don’t speak in front of people. But I thought these would be interesting to know.
Spiritually asleep is a state of spiritual death that can occur when someone rejects God‘s presence. It leads to apathy, ignorance, and a preference for sin.
We often become spiritually asleep because of:
To much stress in our lives
Overworking
Worry
Being captivated by social media or television
Constant busyness
The symptoms of spiritual lethargy can include:
Little or no desire to pray
Chronic indulgence of sinful thoughts and actions
Avoiding personal accountability
Decreased interest in Bible study
Selfish and materialistic orientation
Reluctant or sporadic attendance in a Bible believing church
There are a few ways to help with becoming spiritually awake:
Making a point to read your Bible (the Word of God every day)
Praying and reading your Bible out loud
Take time to be still throughout the day (quiet time alone)
Take walks and notice with things around you that God has made
Have some deep devotion times
Spiritual sleep leads to physical death but spiritual awakening leads to eternal life and the power of God (Romans 8:6)
When you receive the light of Jesus and awaken to the things He has done. Everyone illuminated by Christ Jesus becomes a light for God. The greater the illumination the more we will project the divine image into the world.
Moving forward to the unknown isn’t always easy,especially when we have to let go of certain people, things, or memories in our lives that become a part of who we are.
When God separates us, we may want to go back to the life we once had, even though we know it’s no longer possible. So, we are left with no other choice but to move forward.
Sometimes I wish I could go back and change the choices I made in my younger years. No matter how painful my past is I can’t change what it is. But, it’s the past that made me who I am today.
Sometimes we need to let go of the past and accept the things God has prepared for us. God has a habit of putting us on a journey where we can experience who He really is, and guide us down a path that provides us with something better.
The truth is we need to let go of not just the bad things, but also some good things so He can set us up for something better.
I like to think of it was clearing space in our lives that distracts us, so we have space for new and greater things God has planned for us. Even though it may be tough to let some things go, there are good things on the horizon.
Letting go is always challenging. We may not know God’s plans but knowing they will be good should help us to.
God always wants better things for us than we can imagine for ourselves. He wants to realign us for His purposes.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is when God wants me to let go of the good things in my life. It hurts, but He always has something better in mind.
We can’t receive the best if we keep holding on to what we think is better.
What are your favorite physical activities or exercises?
Swimming is a low impact exercise that helps reduce stress o our joints and bones, which makes it a goodexercise for people with arthritis or injuries. It improves cardiovascular health by helping the heart muscle making it work harder to pump throughout your body.
Swimming helps improve flexibility by twisting, , pulling and stretching ,.
Swimming is my go to exercise. After doing it, I feel rejuvenated
Have you ever wondered why your life doesn’t always reflect God’s promises?
There are over 3000 thousand promises in the Bible for those who follow God. A few well-known ones are:
“I will not leave you or forsake you” -Joshua 1:5
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” -James 4:8
“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” -Psalm 37:4
A less-known one is:
“For however many are the promises of God, in Him is the Yes. Therefore also through Him is the Amen, to the glory of God through us.
So, how do we activate God’s promises in our lives? It is “sort of” a secret formula that is involved. There are a few simple keys:
Maintain A Soft Heart
Hebrews 3, reminds us about the children of Israel after God (with Moses’ help) brought them out of Egypt. The writer explains how their hearts were hard and rebellious, they tested God because their hearts always wandered from Him, and they didn’t know His ways (Hebrews 3:7-11).
These were the people of God. But because of their choices and hearts, God said, “They shall not enter My rest (Hebrews 3:11). This meant that they would never enter the Promised Land.
The Promised Land was a huge promise that God gave the Israelites -a land of their own -an inheritance. Because they were God’s special, chosen people. But they forfeited this promise for 40 years, because of their hardened hearts.
It’s important to remember that even Jesus’s disciples dealt with hard hearts. Mark 6:52 says, “For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.
When we have hard hearts we cannot understand God’s ways because it blinds us to what God is doing and saying.
Hebrews 3:7-8 urges us, “…Today if you will hear His voice, and don’t harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, like as in the days of the trial in the wilderness.
We too must keep a soft heart that is willing and open to hearing God’s voice if we want to have the promises of God.
2. Reject Unbelief
Hebrews 3:12-13 tells us to “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. Lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”
Sin deceives us so that truth seems like a lie, and lies seem like the truth.
We shouldn’t allow sin to derail us. Unbelief and doubt are set on leading us to a hardened heart. That is what happened to the Israelites, even though they saw God’s mighty hand in miracles and wonders, they still allowed their hearts to doubt God and to grow “calloused” toward Him and His ways.
If we are living in unbelief, we cannot expect to see the promises of God in our lives. God’s promises are available to all who believe in Him, not doubters.
Hebrews 3:18-19 says, “To whom did he swear that they wouldn’t enter into His rest, but to those who were disobedient ? We see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief.”
Believing and obeying God are keys to unlocking His promises. God rewards Faith, not unbelief.
3.Combine God’s Promises With Faith
Hebrews 4:2 explains about the people of Israel, “For indeed we have had good news preached to us, even as they also did,, but the Word they heard didn’t profit them, because it wasn’t mixed with faith by those who heard.”
The children of God heard His Word and promises, but they didn’t receive anything from God because they didn’t combine what they heard with faith. They never obtained what God promised them because they walked in unbelief instead of faith.
Faith is believing that you already have what you’re hoping for. It’s pulling God’s promises from the Spirit realm into the physical realm.
Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
It’s as if God puts His promises out there for anyone who will receive them.
For those who believe in faith that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He said He would do -no matter what the circumstances around them look like, they believe and obey anyway.
Unbelief and hardness of heart often go hand in hand.
We must be careful not to allow our hearts to harden or let unbelief creep in. God’s pro are available to us, if we will just believe in faith, obey and keep our hearts soft toward Him.
From Pity to Praise 