Beauty in your life- change your thoughts for a positive outlook
What are your favorite physical activities or exercises?
I enjoy hiking, getting to see the scenery that God has make for us the mountains, the hidden springs he put in most people’s view.
Walking is my second best. I am a fool for nature. Getting to see and hear nature gets my adrenaline goiing.
Sometimes life feels like we’ve hit a dead-end. That thing you thought would last forever appears to be over. Sometimes it seems there’s a giant roadblock in the only way forward.
It happens to all of us. And rejection in any form stings no matter which angle we look at it. Endings can upend us.
I know dead-end roads Lord knows I’ve had plenty of them. And where I’m from those roads are made of gravel. Dead-ends can leave us feeling let down. They can be frustrating and annoying when you think your finally moving forward and the you hit the roadblock. And it can unsteady you like loose gravel under your tires.
Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our expectations of what that thing will look like that we become blind to the alternative route can open right before us.
It’s nice to know that there’s always a way to keep going when we choose to go after God. It might look a little different than then the picture in our minds.
There’s a saying that goes, “It’s easier for God to steer us in the right direction when we’re not anchored to the shore.
I don’t use the passion translation of the Bible very much but, in puts James 1:22 in a perfect way,
“Don’t just listen to the Word of truth and not respond to it, for that is thesense of self-deception. So always let His Word become like poetry writing and fulfilled by your life.”
We are to be those who listen and respond. In other words, we are to remain soft and steerable.
When we stop being steerable, we can end up making a U-turn on gravel road. And wondering where God went and why He left us. Perhaps He was five paces behind us, opening up a new way. We just couldn’t see Him because we were looking in the opposite direction.
I’ve been on more dead-end roads than I care to admit. Those roads may have been leading to good things, dreams that I thought God has spoken. But somewhere along the way. I elevated those dreams over the “dream maker.” I’ve tried to make things happen on my own, but then I stopped being steerable, and coy even see it. Until I reached the road sign telling me I was off track.
Dead-end roads might happen if.
The things on this list might not apply, but if you resonate with a few, perhaps it’s time to sit down and get real with God and talk about the condition of your heart.
It’s okay to turn around, to admit you were wrong, and let God steer you in His way.
There’s not just one way to live a life of meaning. There’s not just one way to be a friend, there’s not just one way.
Let God Steer You! And You Won’t Go Wrong.
What is something others do that sparks your admiration?
When I see someone show authentic kindness. Whether it’s a small act of kindness or an unwavering support in challenging times. Witnessing someone embody kindness is a beacon on hope in these chaotic times.
Someone who has resilience. People who face adversity. But rise to the odds of their circumstances. Their strength and determination displayed in overcoming obstacles inspire me.
Integrity is the bedrock of character. People to consistently uphold their values, and principles regardless of external pressures.
Have you ever walked through a situation in life that left you wondering why God would allow you to experience the hurt, pain, and even the discouragement that resulted. While there is no doubt that some challenges in life are the result of poor choices, the reality is that we will all walk through hard times in our lives and will experience pain.
Jesus told us pain and suffer would be part of our lives. In John 16:33 Jesus tells us “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Jesus doesn’t simply say we will have trials and sorrow and leave it to us to figure it out. Instead, He promises peace and reminds us that He has overcome the world. Our hardships aren’t without purpose.
This is why Paul who experienced much pain and difficulty can boldly declare these words in Romans 8:28,
“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.“
Paul chooses his words carefully,and notice he writes we know. For a man who underwent beatings, shipwrecks, multiple imprisonments, Paul recognizes something that is absolutely essential for us to remember -our pain is not meaningless but have a purpose. And not just some situations, but all things.
Everyone God used mightily throughout scripture went through seasons of hardship. Moses had to flee his family who wanted to kill him, Elijah had people seeking his death, Esther risked her life in order to save the Jewish people, Jesus’s disciples were all martyred for their commitment to Jesus and our Savor Jesus was beaten and hung on a cross for us.
Yet Scripture repeatedly speaks to how our suffering never concludes without God’s power through it supernaturally.
Our pain and suffering often sets us up to see God’s supernatural work in our lives.
Nothing can prepare us when we get disappointing news, especially when we feel the Lord has spoken to our hearts and then things don’t work out like we planned. Questions begin to fill our minds such as “Did we really hear from God? Where do we go from here?
Recently a friend of mine was baptized and saved. It was a joyous occasion. I had been trying to get her to come to a weekly Bible study I was attending, then she began coming to church, her husband was saved and was happy to see her saved. About a month later he was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer and can’t undergo chemotherapy treatment. The dr said he maybe has a year to live. I don’t know why God allowed this to happen, but I am sure there is a purpose. She is struggling to deal with what has happened. But, I’m sure through this season the Lord will be near and will help them get through the pain and discouragement a loss like this will produce. He will help her grow stronger in her relationship with Him.
Regardless of what you’re walking through today or what challenges are ahead, here are some principles the Lord wants you to know when walking through difficult days.
1. Bring Your Pain To God. Don’t Run From Him
When you run from God in seasons of difficulties, all you’re left with is your own limited ability to cope with what you’re walking through. God invites us to draw near to Him that we might experience His peace, healing, and closeness and this is what Scripture points us towards.
“The Lord is close to the broken hearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed” – Psalm 34:18
The Bible never instructs us to suppress our pain, but shows us where to direct it.
Just like our need for a surgeon to address physical wounds to our body, God desires to conduct divine surgery on our souls which results in supernatural healing despite how difficult our challenges are.
When we bring our pain to God we recognize that there is a purpose and in time the One who loves us unconditionally will reveal His divine purpose through it.
2.Fill Your Life With God’s Word And God’s People
How we respond to pain and suffering is critical to how we process what’s happening and how healing will take place. If you treat physical sickness with the inappropriate medication, not only will your sickness continue, but it could become worse.
When you fill your life with God’s Word and surround yourself with people who speak hope and encouragement into your life, your experience will be much healthier.
If you fill your mind with wrong thoughts like God is mad at me, God is not good, worse things are going to happen. When you struggle to experience the peace of God He promises to us in Philippians 4:7,
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
When we fill our minds with God’s Word, we are reminding ourselves of who our God is, what He’s like, and we replace the lies of Satan with the truth of how good God is.
3. Don’t Be Filled With Worry, Overflow Yourself With Worship
Something very powerful happens when we actively choose to worship through our suffering, We don’t by all means deny reality, we simply redirect our posture from one of worry to one of worship.
Worship changes our perspective. Worship speaks about where our confidence and hope resides. Worship redirects our thinking. Worship places the results in God’s hands.
Whether your pain is the result of relationship challenges, financial struggle, health diagnosis or anxiety about the future, when you begin to worship God through your struggle, spiritual chains begin to break so that you aren’t ruled by your circumstances but you set your sights on something higher. This is why Paul and Silas could praise God when chained in prison. They recognized God was using their imprisonment for the spread of the gospel which ultimately resulted in the first New Testament church on the continent of Europe.
Psalm 61:2 says, “From the ends of the earth I will call to you, when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.”
4. Believe That God Will Turn Your Sorrow Into Great Joy
One of the paradoxes of Christianity is that our good God uses pain for our good. Meaning that our biggest sorrows can result in our greatest joy. When you think about Jesus’s greatest sorrow -suffering the shame, punishment, and death for our sins, the result was great joy -the redemption of humanity and the opportunity for a relationship with the living God.
When I think about everything I’ve been there in my life, the pain and suffering I’ve had to endure because of my childhood, and how I was blessed when God finally found me in ruin, as I pressed into God’s presence for my healing and trusted Him with my life, how I’ve watched Him to use my situation to strengthen and encourage others when has resulted in joy through all the pain and suffering. I am I’m awe of how He has used my trials and tribulations to encourage others that there is hope and Jesus is love. And that they too can find peace with God.
“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” -2 Corinthians 1:4
This has been true for me as I have walked with others who have experienced abuse. God had used my pain to strengthen and encourage others to trust God and believe that He is working despite what they see.
What’s your favorite cartoon?
As a child I used to like “Winnie to Pooh.” My favor characters were Tigger and Eeyore.
Tigger who be that friend that calls you at 3AM with a new business idea convinced it the next big things. He’s was all about living in the moment, finding opportunities, and creating adventures. Tigger was a walking, taking. Bouncing embodiment of extroverted, sensing, think and perceiving personality.
Eeyore was the party pooper, the cloud of gloom that’s always got rain in his parade. He had a tendency to get stuck in his own head, and obsessing about past experiences, and his own values and feelings. He tried to dismiss external facts or possibilities which lead to a pessimistic outlook. He always expected the worst.
I love how trigger always bounced in the try and save the day. Full of energy and always happy.
I wish that they had cartoons for kids like these today. Instead of all the woke crap they’re trying to shove down our kids throats today.
Life on earth is full of work; we need food, clothing, shelter, and education. Sometimes can’t distinguish between wants and needs.
God knows our needs, and He has promised to supply all of them. But the fact that is a lot of believers today have no time to worship and praise God. They are busy at work to meet their needs and material treasures. It’s very displeasing to God when our needs and wants in life become hinderance to our service to the Lord.
One day our worldly treasures, efforts, and sacrifices will end. Most people are too tired by the day of rest (Sabbath day) to spend time with God. They can’t make a small sacrifice to do what the God asks them to do.
1 John 2: 16-17 tells us, “For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but of this world. And the world is passing away, and the,use of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Many people sacrifice their lives fighting for a worldly cause, political, nationalist, or even personal. But, all these causes will not last forever.
“For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” -1 Timothy 6:7.
Your Future, Your Choice
Do you really have a choice in what your future will be? Some people believe that fate or predestination, not personal choice, control their life. When they fail to reach certain goals, they simply shrug it off as inevitable. “It was never meant to be” they say.
Others become disillusioned when they see no way out of this oppressive and unjust world in which we live. They may have tried to make their lives better -on,y to see things like crime, natural disasters, and sickness wreck their plans time and time again. Why bother? They ask themselves.
It is true that circumstances in life can seriously affect our plans (Ecclesiastes 9:11). However, when it comes to your ultimate destiny, you have a very real choice. In fact, the Bible shows that your future depends on your choice. Consider this,
Moses, the leader of the ancient nation of Israel, told the people as they were about to enter the promised land, “I have put life and death before you, the blessing and the curse; and you must choose life so that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving Jehovah your God, by listening to His voice, and sticking by Him” -Deuteronomy 30: 15; 19, 20.
“I have put life and death before you, the blessing and the curse; and got must choose life“ -Deuteronomy 30:19.
God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and put before them the prospect of a free and happy life in the promised land. But all that would not come upon them automatically. To gain those blessings, the had to “choose life.” How? By loving God, by listening to His voice, by sticking to Him.
Today is no different, the choice is put before you, and how you choose will determine what your future will be. If you choose life, life everlasting on a paradise earth. If you choose death you will be cursed. It seems to be an easy choice.
But what is involved in choosing God?
Love is God’s primary attribute. “God is love.” For this reason, when Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment, He said “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” -Matthew 22:37.
A real relationship with God must be based, not on fear or blind obedience, but on love. Why? Though, should we choose to love Him?
God’s love for mankind is like that of loving parents for their children. Though imperfect, loving parents instruct, encourage, support, and discipline their children they want them to be happy and to flourish. In turn they want their children to live them and take to heart what their parents have imparted to them for their good. Is it not reasonable that our perfect Heavenly Father expects us to show loving appreciation for all that He has done for us?
In the original language of the Bible, the word ‘listen’ often carries the sense of obedience. Is that not what we ran when we say to a child, Listen to your parents?” Then to listen to God’s voice implies learning and obeying what God says. Since we cannot hear God’s voice audibly, we listen to Him by reading and applying what is in His Word (1 John 5:3).
To show the importance of listening to God’s voice, on one occasion Jesus said, “Man must not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” -Matthew 4:4. As important as physical food is to us, taking in knowledge of God is, in fact, even more so. King Solomon explained that “Wisdom is protection just as money is protection, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves the life of its owner” – Ecclesiastes 7:12). Knowledge and wisdom from God can protect us today and help us to make the wise choice that leaf’s to everlasting life in the future.
When we recall Jesus’s illustration in which He said: “Narrow is the gate, and restricted is the way that leads to life! Few are those who find it. Traveling on such a road, we would surely benefit from having and staying close to an expert guide if we wanted to reach our destination -everlasting life. There is good reason for you to stay close to God.
Every day, there are many things that we must do and many things that we would like to do. Such things can keep us so distracted that we have little or no time to consider what God wants us to do. That is why we need to be reminded to keep strict watch on how we walk not as unwise but as wise people, making the best use of our time, because the data are wicked ( Ephesians 5:15-16). We stay close to God by making our relationship with Him the most important thing in our life -Matthew 6:33.
There is nothing we can do to change our path, we can choose to secure a fine future for ourselves and our loved one’s. The Bible reveals that our Heavenly Father deep,y loves us and the He let us know what He would like to see us do.
“He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the Lord require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” – Micah 6:8.
When you accept God’s invitation to walk with Him you will gain the eternal blessings He has in store for you. Do you choose life or death?
What could you do less of?
I could use less overthinking. I know it’s ridiculous, but right around Christmas time. I overthink what I’m going to get as presents for loved ones. I tell myself this year I’m going to make it easy but, I get into the store walk down the gift set aisle, and think “They probably won’t like that.” Then I’m searching the store to find the perfect gift that I can’t find. Either because it’s too expensive or I second-guess myself.
While I love the lights and the concept of giving great gifts. I drive myself crazy overthinking every little thing, even down to the wrapping paper. Maybe it’s because I care too much or I just want everything perfect down to the last minute.
It’s easy to worship God when He’s blessing our lives, when things are going well, and when we’re all smiles. But when the bottom falls through and the storm hits, it can be a different story.
Whether your storm is a diagnosis that confirms your fears, or a physical or financial disaster that you can’t see a way out of, or something you never anticipated would happen, God is still in control. Scripture tells us He is good and cannot act apart from His nature. So, you can grow and flourish in a storm if you choose to worship God through it.
Here are a few ways to worship God -even in the storm:
1. Focus on Who God is, not on what He is or isn’t doing
When we focus on the facts of Who God is, worship flows. He is passionate, faithful, good, and upright (Psalm 25:6-8). There is no malice in Him” (Psalm 92:15). He is gentle toward those He loves (Psalm 18:35; Matthew 11:29). Those characteristics of God have nothing to do with our circumstances. That means regardless of what you think God is doing or not doing, He can be trusted. And He is worthy of worship.
All through the Psalms we see King David have a commitment to praise God through every one of His struggles.
Our feelings and fears can crowd out the facts of God’s Word, but focus on the facts of who God is, not our feelings. Focusing on the facts of God’s Word that tell you He will never leave or forsake you (Hebrew 13:5), and His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). When we choose to keep our eyes on Who God is, we become less consumed with our plight and whether or not God’s meeting our expectations. When we know He is trustworthy we can say like Job: “Though He slays me, yet I will trust in Him” (Job 13:15). Even though I am in the storm, I will worship Him.
2 Praise Him for the opportunity to become more like His Son
Romans 8:28 tells us “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” People say that “everything will turn out alright in the end.” Yet the “good” that God causes to come about from “all things” (even our suffering ), is clarified so beautifully in Romans 8:29,
“For whom he foreknew, he also predestined, Whom he called, those he also justified. Whom he justified those he also glorified.”
God allows us to endure suffering so that, through our surrender and worship, He can mold us and refine us into the perfect image of His Son.
God wants our eternal good, more than our earthly or temporal good. And our eternal good is whatever makes us more like Jesus. We don’t become more like Jesus through sunshine and happiness. We get to know Him as “We walk through the valley of the shadow of death” and “fear no evil” because “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). We become more like Jesus as we deny ourselves, take up our cross daily (the cross is a symbol of suffering.), and follow Him” (Luke 9:24). If you find yourself in a storm worship Him as the only Obe who can ultimately stop the storm, but also as the only One who can make you more like His Son through it.
3. Sing to Him daily
This one is a little more difficult when you’re in pain, emotionally or spiritually. Yet scripture exhorts: “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus” ( 1 Thessalonians 5:18). In everything sing.
Anyone can praise God when life is going great, but it takes true surrender and pure worship to sing to Him in your pain and to lift up His name when you’re carrying heavy burdens. You can worship God even in the storm when you choose to sing.
4. Proclaim His goodness to others
There’s something about verbalizing the goodness of God that cements it in our heads and hearts. Even if you aren’t receiving it yet in your circumstances, tell others of the way He’s watching out for you, and calming your heart. As you speak of His love and faithfulness to others, that praise brings you into His presence, where there is “fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11).
Testify to His goodness in hand-written letters, emails, or social media, but don’t write eternally long posts that elaborate on your trials and end the conversation with something like, “God is good, all the time.” proclaim God’s goodness more than your grievances. As you do that, you are showing others you worship God for Who He is, not because of what He had or had not done for you.
5. Look for new blessings each morning
Jeremiah writes in Lamentations 3 of his misery in the first 20 verses. Then he recalls what keeps him worshipping and waiting on God for his deliverance,
“It is because of the Lord’s loving-kindness that we are not consumed because His compassion doesn’t fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul. Therefore I will hope in Him. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him” -Lamentations 3:22-25
Scripture promises the mercies of God never come to an end; they are new every morning. Watch for them. Anticipate them. And praise God for them whether you actually see them or not. The sun rises, the birds sing, air continues to flow through your lungs, you heart continues to beat. There is always something to be grateful for and a myriad of reasons to worship Him. As you worship and anticipate His refreshment of your heart – you will find all you need. Jeremiah 29:13 promises: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me will all your heart.”
6. Praise Him for the ‘secret treasure’ of knowing Him better
Job, who endured the big storm of any of us will ever face (apart from what our Savior endured on the cross), came out of his intense suffering with a much deeper, more intimate knowledge of the sovereignty of God. His testimony before God restored his health and possessions was: “I know that You can do all things, and than no plan is impossible for You” (Job 42:2). Yet the true treasure of Job’s suffering was not the restoration and multiplication of all the possessions he had before , but the intimate knowledge he gained of his God, as he evidenced in his words in Job 42:5: “I have heard of You; by the hearing of the ear; but now my eyes see You.”
After Job’s suffering, he had experienced God intimately, and seen Him in a sense. That is something that rarely happens unless when we’ve walked with Him through the darkness of a storm. Perhaps that intimate knowledge of Him is the secret treasure God was referring to when He told Isaiah in 45:3, “I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden wealth of secret places, so that you may know that it is I, The Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.
Praise and worship Him, in the midst of your storms, for the treasured privilege to know Him in a way that few others do.
There is nothing worse than a bully. I hate anyone who does harm emotionally, spiritually or physically to anyone.
Have anyone ever told you, you are unlovable, unworthy, stupid. It makes you feel exactly what the person is calling you. It’s harder when it’s child because they haven’t formed a foundation for who they are.
Satan is a bully. He’s good at telling us things to make us feel awful about ourselves. if you look for the word unloveable in Jesus language (Hebrew) you won’t find it because it doesn’t exist.
My entire childhood I was called some pretty negative things. And that made me call myself some pretty negative things. Maybe that’s why I hate bullies, maybe that’s why I try to lift people up instead of tear them down, because I know first hand how it feels.
Everyone is lovable, worthy, and everyone makes stupid mistakes, but that doesn’t make anyone stupid. Satan is pretty good at making anyone feel negative about themselves, either through our own thoughts, or through someone else he has his grips on.
One characteristic of all bullies male and female, is their love of oppression. They enjoy tormenting their target. Everyone faces bullies, whether it’s from pro-school to high school Or cyber bullying that’s going on today in manipulation.
The God of this world is Satan, and he loves to control our thought and actions. Psalm 22 tells both of king David’s struggle with his warring enemies and Jesus’s torment on the cross. It is an insightful look into the spiritual realm of darkness. The unseen forces that pressing and delight in our torment are well known in this world we live in.
If you’re living for Jesus, you know far too well how Satan can oppose you. He aims to stop anyone from obeying the Lord and fulfilling His desires on the earth.
Like any bully, Satan wants you to give in to him. You must stand your ground against him in the Lord’s strength or you will lose. When you call on the name of the Lord, you can receive the power to resist Satan, and he will flee.
Jesus is the finisher of our faith, if we submit to Him, His grace will not fail us.
What positive events have taken place in your life over the past year?
No matter where you look you can always find positive events going on in your life. It’s all about perspective.
I recently had total knee replacement surgery. Within a day I had a friend bring me a walker that had a seat on it. And a hot meal for my husband and I. Neighbors brought us home cooked meals for 3 weeks until I could get strong enough to cook.
About 6 months ago my vehicle took a dump on me, by the grace of God I was able to find a vehicle with low mileage and that was taken very good care of, within my price range with a week.
I have a wonderful husband, that is loving, and spoils me rotten. Who is also my very best friend.
From Pity to Praise