Beauty in your life- change your thoughts for a positive outlook
Many people instinctually say Fall or Christmas are their favorite. But my favorite month is July. The month America celebrates its independence. I love the warm weather, the barbecues, the fireworks, and America, but what’s most important to me is my son comes to visit.
The very name “angel” means “messenger,” and we can be assured that when they’re here, they have come for a very specific purpose. Throughout history, angels have been sent by God to bring a message of hope to protect, comfort, serve, carry out God’s judgment, and give Him praise.
I have heard a few people talk about their encounters with angels. I believe angels are still with us today. I’m certain there is are known awareness of angels, but sometimes they are around and we don’t even know they are there.
In Hebrews 13:2 we are told, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without even knowing it.”
God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And we can be confident that He still works in the same powerful ways.
Many years ago I was in a bad car accident. I hydroplaned and when the car spun around I hit into a mountain at about 50 miles an hour, front first. I was taken to the hospital with a little whiplash, but no broken bones, nothing . I few hours later I walked out of the hospital. I believe an angel was with me today. I should have been killed.
Angels are from a vast spiritual realm that surrounds us, even when we can’t always see them (Colossians 1:16).
There are many examples in the Bible of when God sends an angel to give a specific message to people. Sometimes it was a word of encouragement or offer hope for what was to come. Other times it was a clear warning to God’s people and provided protection and guidance.
There are many times God sends an angel in the Bible a few of those are in Genesis. When God sent three of His messengers to Abraham and Sarah to tell them that even in old age, she would bear a son (Genesis 18). God sent an angel to Hagar in the desert when she ran away in Genesis 16. God sent the angel Gabriel, to Mary to tell her that she would give birth to Jesus, in Luke 1. There are many other examples throughout the Bible.
If you are a believe you shouldn’t be afraid of angels. Even though it can be normal response if we see one. The Bible tells us over and over that we do not need to fear them (Luke 2:10).
Many times throughout history, and still today, God sends angels to protect, guard, and fight for us. We can never have authority over angels, we can not give them instructions or command that they do anything. They work for God alone.
In Psalms 91 God tells us in powerful words that “He would give angels charge concerning us to guard us in all ways.”
Many times, God sends angels to minister to those in extreme times of pain, loss, or grief. I’ve heard a few accounts of people on their deathbeds when I was working in hospice saying they had seen angels, or light before being ushered into the presence of God. Maybe you have a few angel stories of your own.
I know without a doubt angels are among us. God often works in ways we can’t fully see, and sometimes behind the scenes or unexpectedly. He always works on our behalf, whether we recognize it or not, there is a spiritual realm constantly around us.
May God give us eyes to see clearly that angels are among us and that God is working miracles even today.
My City is small. There’s not much to do. My favorite place to go would be the mountains especially when it’s sunup or sundown.
Many people struggle this time of year. Whether it’s missing relatives, and financial reasons there is always a reason to thank God, not only through the holidays, but every day.
The perfect place to start with a grateful heart this Thanksgiving is in God’s Word.
There are 15 scriptures that encourage us to be thankful.
I would want to see me as a disciple. I want people to see Jesus shining through me. A gentle, kind, grace filled woman who is compassionate. That’s the memory I want to leave behind, when I leave the room.
“Therefore let’s, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and sin which is so easily entangled us, and let’s run the perseverance the race that is set among us” Hebrews 12:1
The Bible uses running a race to describe the life a follower of God should live. We are to discard hinderances, fix our eyes on Jesus and run with perseverance to finish our spiritual race God had set before us.
We are encouraged to finish the race with perseverance as we go through trials and remember the faith of those who came before us and focus on Jesus’s example of enduring the cross with joy that was set before Him.
The race is not a sprint, it’s a marathon that requires endurance, discipline, and commitment.
We are called to throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that can easily entangle us. It involves getting rid of distractions and everything that slows down our spiritual progress.
Jesus is the pioneer and prefecter of faith. He should motivate us to endure. He is our ultimate example.
We are not running this race alone, the Bible teaches us that we are not running this race alone. The people of faith from history like Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham should encourage us to preserve, according to Hebrews 11.
This means running with endurance we should continue our race in faith, in our daily walk with God even if we don’t feel like it. This involves staying faithful to God’s calling through trials, difficulties, and opposition. We should view our trials with an eternal perspective, which can help us endure this life, because there is a promise of eventual gain.
In a world where confrontation is often glamorized and considered a rite of passage. The act of quietly removing yourself from the situation can feel like act of rebellion. It is counterintuitive to the loud, drama fueled resolutions we have been seeing. The greatest gift we can give ourselves is the ability to let go without over explaining, without demanding closure, and without burning ourselves out trying to understand what’s going on.
Sometimes peace doesn’t come from the other person, but from the decisions to stop participating in what drains us. We often stay entangled I’m toxic cycles, explaining and re-explaining ourselves, and trying to bridge, gaps and understanding or seeking validation that never comes. while it feels noble to work things out, the emotional toll it can cost us our peace of mind.
“If it costs you you’re peace it’s too expensive.“
Quietly walking away is not an act of weakness or avoidance. It’s an act of profound strength and self-respect. It’s understanding that our energy is sacred, and not everyone deserves access to it.
When we stop over, extending ourselves, we can make peace for what truly aligned with our soul. When we choose silent over chaos, we reclaiming the energy spent on overthinking, arguing, and explaining. Instead of investing, our time and situations that rob our clarity we redirect it towards self-healing and growth. We allow ourselves to move forward without dragging the weight of other people’s issues with us.
We have an illusion of closure. But closure is a myth. We think closure will heal us but closure doesn’t depend on the other person. It depends on our willingness to accept what is, even if it messy or incomplete. Trying to force closure can lead to a cycle of dissatisfaction because it keeps us tethered to the very thing we’re trying to release.
True freedom comes when we stop chasing expectations and start realizing that some questions will never be answered.
When we feel compelled to explain our feelings or justify our actions, it’s often because we seek permission to feel the way we do. Confrontation will never bring peace. Until the person sits down and can have a reasonable discussion and is willing to have an open mind.
Walking away without explanation is an act of trusting ourselves. It’s realizing that our inner peace is more important than convincing someone else of our perspective. Confrontation and violence will never solve anything.
If we want peace we need to set boundaries. Saying no I’d not selfish, it’s self-preservation. We can protect our energy by identifying what’s worth our time and what’s not.
We must let go of the need to be right. Some battlesaren’t worth fighting, and some arguments aren’t worth winning. Choose peace or the urge to prove a point.
When we accept people in situations as they are and not how we want them to be, it helps us detach emotionally from what’s beyond our control.
Instead of obsessing over what we think is wrong it’s better to channel our energy into activities that nurture our souls.
Silence isn’t a weakness, it’s wisdom. By using silence, we allow space or clarity and healing to the emerge.
Walking away is an act of grace. When we quietly remove ourselves from the situation, we are not giving up, we’re leveling up. We are choosing peace, over the chaos of trying to make everything perfect -it will never be.
We are trusting that our worth isn’t tied to someone else’s understanding of us. Life is too short to explain our soul to those committed to misunderstanding us.
Maybe it’s time we stop over extending it our embracing the power of detachment. Walking away is not the end, it’s the beginning of something better -our freedom, our peace, and our power.
I usually read more that two books at one time, but the one I’m reading now, I’m pretty in to. “Drawing Near, A life of intimacy with God,” by John Bevere.
I think my church is going to have a Bible study, that would give me background context from this book so, I wanted to make sure I soaked everything I could from it.
Wild mustard seeds is highly evasive and spread rapidly along the ground. It can grow almost anywhere are difficult to kill and sometimes sprouting again after being cut down.
Jesus spoke in Matthew 17:20 saying, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, to move from here to there, and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
I was thinking last night that some churches teach “if you have faith of a mustard seed, your faith will grow.” But that’s as far as they go. Some say that “if you just believe hard enough, you will get what you want.” But, Jesus encouraged His followers that their faith does not need to be large to be powerful because God can work miracles through even the smallest amount of trust.
But I believe that to move mountains we need to engage in conversations, When we have faith as a mustard seed it has to empower us to overcome life’s challenges and grow spiritually. It’s not about our ability to move mountains in our human strength, but about God’s power working through us who have faith. It’s about letting people see our faith, but that involves risk. Sometimes our most faithful moments is when we act despite uncertainty.
It requires action and belief. True faith is not just believing, but acting on that belief and trusting that God will help us through our challenges.
Faith requires consistent effort. Building faith and overcoming obstacles is a process that requires time, effort, and persistence, with God’s help along the way.
If I could live anywhere in the world I would choose Budapest Hungary. I know I have relatives there. I have had an urging in my heart to go and reconnect with where my family is from for years. I have no living relatives I am close to here. I’ve tried to reconnect with them, but they don’t seem to be interested.
The only difficulty I think I have t learning to speak the language. I can understand it, but I don’t know the tongue positions to speak it. I’m sure I could get the trill down given time.
What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever found (and kept)?
I think the coolest thing I’ve ever found was a Bible translated from the original Greek from 1928.
From Pity to Praise