We should seek God for who He is, rather than for what He can give. This means prioritizing a relationship with God based on His nature and presence, rather than negotiational desires for blessings or solutions to our problems.
This involves a deeper form of desiring to know God, and being His presence and understanding His truth.
When we truly desire His presence, we can experience Him directly, finding fulfillment with His companionship rather than what He can provide.
Seeking His nature is driven by a desire to understand God’s character, His truth, and His will, not just to receive benefits.
When we prioritize our relationship with God our emphasis shifts from “what can God do for me?” to “how can I know and please Him more?”
When we focus on seeking Him through prayer, worship, and His Word, we can begin to understand the path to deeper connection. These are not just tools for getting our requests granted.
These things are important because God values those who seek Him for His own sake, as opposed to using Him for personal gain.
Focusing solely on outcomes leads to burnout but seeking God’s presence brings lasting refreshment and restoration.
A relationship that is built on knowing God’s true nature leads to greater spiritual fulfillment and a yearning to please Him.
“If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever” – 1 Chronicles 28:9
I try and invoke healthy pastimes like reading and spending time in nature. These things are emotionally nurturing and cause me to be physically active.
Through the winter months I spend more time reading to keep my mind active and engaged.
If you are who you say you are then it’s time to build confidence in who you are. It’s time we focus on consistently acting in line with our core values, keeping promises made to ourselves and acknowledging our accomplishments, even the small ones.
Real self-confidence is an earned feeling and is derived from proving our abilities to handling challenges, rather than a fixed trait. Building confidence is an active, ongoing process of aligning our actions with our self perception.
There are a few ways to build confidence: identifying, core values, and strength, clearly defines what matters to you and your unique abilities is what creates a strong sense of self.
Always keeping promises to yourself. Creating small, meaningful commitments and consistently falling through on them is what builds a track record for success and capability.
We must acknowledge our accomplishments. Even small victories can reinforce self belief and and demonstrates abilities.
Building self-confidence involved, embracing our mistakes as we learn. Viewing setbacks as valuable lessons rather than reasons to doubt, this actually helps build self resilience, and an understanding of how to handle adversity.
An invaluable lesson I’ve learned over the years is that we are allowed to change our thoughts. Using positive self talk, we can practice positive affirmations and focus on productive thoughts and actions instead of negative thoughts and actions. This creates a more confident mindset.
It is important to concentrate on what we can control in the present moment to avoid unnecessary worry about the past and future.
To develop a competent identity, we must integrate confident patterns and habits into our daily life until they become part of who you are.
There are a few key principles of confidence:
Confidence is earned. It stems from giving yourself irrefutable proof that you are capable and trustworthy to yourself.
It’s not about perfection. Confident means trusting that you can handle what comes your way, even with imperfections or setbacks.
It’s a mindset. Cultivating a believe in your ability and capacity to overcome challenges allow us to mentally prepare.
 A counselor once told me that even if I don’t have confidence in myself , God is your confidence. We are worthy and can do all things because the Holy Spirit is within us, and through God we are made worthy.
What would you do if you lost all your possessions?
Losing all my possessions I’m sure I would miss a few things like my Bible and the old pictures I cherish.
But even in that I would praise the Lord. Having possessions is just a status symbol on earth. The Bible tells us in Matthew 6:19-21 to “not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.
God would still remain worthy of praise and that sometimes loss can purify our focus.
Losing my possessions would be a way to uncover who we really are, beyond our attachments.
When God made our souls, He made them in His image. Our souls are endless, timeless, dateless and measureless. Our soul is the most valuable part of each of us and, so often, the first thing we sacrifice for the things of the world.
Mark 8:35-36 tells us, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the sake of the Good news (the gospel) will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life (his soul)?
Our souls are priceless treasures of infinite worth, each one was created by God. Every soul has the potential to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus. Our souls are also valuable because of their durability -the last for all eternity.
Adrian Rogers said, “Your soul will be in existence somewhere when the sun, moon, and stars have grown cold -either heaven or hell. We could never cease to exist any more than God Himself could not exist.”
Each soul is unique. Jesus died on the cross, paying the cost with His blood and agony to show how much He desired our souls.
So, why do we ignore our souls, and prioritize our flesh? We must be extremely careful with our souls. And not exchange them for the things of this world, when doing so is such a foolish transaction.
No one ever gains the world, and whatever part of the world we think we’ve gained we cannot keep it forever. The world cannot meet our deepest longings, Pleasure, possession, or philosophy could ever satisfy us, because God made us for Himself.
To lose our souls would be a tragic irreversible loss -after death, we don’t get a second chance. All the wealth of this world cannot compare to the value of a soul.
“If I had a thousand souls, I would give every one of them to Jesus” -Adrian Rogers
It is inevitable that we will go through times of despair in our lives. Jesus told us in John 16:33, in this world, we will have tribulations and trials distress and frustration, but be a good cheer and take courage, be confident, for He has overcome the world.
In difficult times we might feel like giving up or feeling like we’re stuck and don’t know where to turn. But when we hold onto hope and put our trust in God, He always makes a way. he will take whatever we are going through and make good out of it.
“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to His purpose” -Romans 8:28
When I was growing up, I was neglected, and abused there were many times I wondered why these things were happening. Why was God letting them happen. I cried and begged for help. I told my teacher at school and was ignored because my mother told them I just had an active imagination. After a while I gave up hope, as the depression set in I coped by taking alcohol out of the refrigerator and getting drunk at age 13 I began doing drugs, anything I could find to numb the pain I was feeling. And I would do anything to get my hands on those drugs. My excuse was if no one else cared why should I. That led to many years of suffering. I had lost all hope. When I turned 22 I was a complete mess. I then met my husband of 36 years. But I wasn’t any better off, I still did drugs. It wasn’t until one night I overdosed. I remember thinking well this is it. I’m dying. Miraculously, I came out of it and never did hard drugs again. Children came, and through raising them, I still took pain pills to numb the pain, but I was always there for my children.
Fast forward 18 years and I became a follower of Jesus, even though I was very angry at God. I figured I had tried to fill the hole inside my soul, with everything else but Him. He didn’t get me out of the situations in my life, but He gave me the strength to get through it. I realized that through it all I still had hope it would get better. I took four years of repenting, begging, and a hope for a good future.
God how to plan for my life through it all. He had taken what Satan meant for harm and turned it into something good. I can honestly tell you that God has transformed me from being negative and pessimistic and into someone who is full of hope, always expecting kids goodness around every corner.
Hope is the confident expectation that something good is going to happen. I hopeful person refuses to be let negativity, ruin their life, even when they deal with the storms of life. Remaining hopeful and thought, attitude, and conversation.
When I began to study God’s Word, that’s when I discovered real hope, that nothing is impossible with a God attitude and an awareness that God is actually expecting, looking and longing to show us His goodness.
Isaiah 30:18 tells us, “Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you, and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you, for the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for Him.
The Bible even tells us that hope is an anchor to our soul, our mind, our will and our emotions. In Hebrews 6:19 it says, “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is within the veil.”
This means that when everything looks bleak, and it seems like nothing makes sense, and it feels like God‘s promises will never come to pass in our lives, hope is the anchor that pulls us back and says, hold on, your help is on the way.
God wants us to live a life full of hope, bleeding, and expecting great things from Him. It’s not about a wishy-washy vague. Hope it’s a let’s just wait and see what happens kind of hope. It’s an attitude that says trust that He will do what He has promised. 
I’ve learned a few things through my journey of life:
Never give up! Fight the temptation to think that there is no way out of your situation. Jesus is the way. This is the time to draw close and follow him.
Avoid blaming God or thinking he is punishing you for some sin. He is just using the situation to work in your life. And while it may not feel the greatest, His purpose will always be used for good.
Do what’s right, even when you’re hurting, when it doesn’t feel right or when others treat you badly. Do something good for as many people as you can and as often as you can.
Don’t withdraw or sulk or isolate yourself from others. You can either be pitiful or powerful, but you can’t be both. Many times God uses others to encourage us during our tough times.
Always keep your word and honor your commitments. This is character building time, and you are being prepared to take your place in the palace.
Don’t stop believing. Don’t give up hope that God can improve your situation.
Hope is only as strong asit’s source. That is why the foundation of our hope must be God and the promises that are found in His Word. If God is not the source, hope it’s just a wishful thought.
The world can be a difficult place, but God‘s hope is unshakable, all powerful, all knowing, and ever present. When we have a relationship with Jesus, it fills us with hope and confidence because we realize He is greater than any situation we will ever encounter.
I have felt out of place most of my life. I’m sure it stems from my childhood. I always felt that I didn’t matter. For years it felt like a bruise that never healed.
The feeling like I never belonged plagues me for years. Until God came into my life. And told me that I am enough, I do matter, I am loved. That each of us are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).
Uniqueness isn’t a flaw it’s often the very thing that brings light into places others can’t reach. When I learned to separate my mother’s voice from the truth I began to heal the bruises she left on me.
For many years all I wanted was a life relationship with God. While my expression to God was true, I struggled with feeling like I didn’t measure up. My own effort to reach my perceived Godly standard I felt bad when I fell short of that standard. It’s a roller coaster way of living that gives nothing to God because it is focused on me and my efforts and it actually separates me from God. Yet, through it all God patiently waited for me to live His truth that I am loved, saved, redeemed, and through Jesus, can live in a personal love relationship with Him.
What I’ve discovered in years past is that my genuine desire to love God above all else, to live in all that Jesys has done for me and to be led by the Holy Spirit had no substance without the willingness to actually do it.
For years I prayed to God giving Him the desires of my heart, hoping that He would do something miraculous in me, to change my life and ease my struggles with myself. I was expecting that God would do something that isn’t His to do, to bypass what I could only I could do -to willingly step out in faith and believe Him alone.
My desire for Him was there, but I wasn’t willing to live and believe Him above my fears, and insecurities. My heartfelt expression to Him wasn’t founded on my absolute trust and belief in Him alone.
1 John 3:18 says, “My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.”
John emphasizes here the difference between desire and willingness, our desire to love is expressed in what we say, but it’s our willingness to love that gives it substance. Willingness is expressed through actions and in truth. Truth is the reality of how we live. So, while it’s important to express love, its fulfillment is found through the acts of love. Every day I tell my husband I love him, which is a true expression of my love for him, but if I’m not living in that life for him day to day by choosing to live for him above myself, the expression has no substance and does nothing for our relationship. This is what John means by the word truth, there is only truth in what we say, when what we say is made true in our lives and our relationships by the way we choose to live.
When God speaks to us our responses can be limited by the way we see ourselves and our circumstances. But that is a faithless response which effectively says to God, I believe what you say for the most part, but some of it isn’t true if me or my situation. In other words, it’s refusing to believe God. I’ve always had a strong desire to be everything I could be for God, for Him to be reflected in the way I live. But I wasn’t willing to abandon everything, to turn my back on what I’ve seen as truth about myself, and face Gid and fully embrace Him truth about me.
In Judges 6:13 God called Gideon to save Israel, God referred to him as “a mighty man of valour” This was not at all how Gideon viewed himself and he quickly let God know they He must be speaking to the wrong person because he was from the weakest clan and way “the least of his father’s house” (Judges 6:15). Gideon had a simple choice, was he going to believe what God said to him or refuse Him? But to say to God meant saying “no’ to all he felt about himself, abandoning his limited perspective, and believing by faith all that God had said. Because Gideon faithfully did that despite how he saw himself, he fulfilled God’s call for his life.
I have always believed that something was missing, or I needed more from God before I could freely live for Him. Even though this is how I genuinely felt, it is also convenient for me because it always gave me an excuse -something beyond my control for not living in my own heart’s desires. Believing this is faithless and leaves a gap between us and God. The reality is that if we’ve accepted Jesus has already given us everything we need -we are saved, forgiven, and redeemed through His life, death, and resurrection. He also freely gives the Holy Spirit to all who ask and believe, so we each have within us God’s Spirit which enables and equips us. If we want, we can go around in circles searching for something that is already there, when the only thing we are lacking, is a willingness to take our eyes off ourselves and believe in everything that God has said by faith. There is nothing more we need, there is only more to discover as we spend our lives growing in spiritual maturity with Jesus.
God could very easily remove all of our insecurities, fears, doubts, and misgivings as He could have for Gideon but then faith and belief would also be removed. With faith and belief gone so is the ability to love. Instead, God lovingly leaves us with imperfection and free will so we can always have the opportunity to choose God instead of ourselves.
His vast eternal perspective over our own limited one. He doesn’t expect us to “get over” our problems or get better at being giving, less selfish people, He simply longs for us to take our focus off ourselves and look for Him. This change of focus doesn’t make things easier or our flesh disappear, it simply puts them in their place and reduces them to irrelevant shadows in God’s revealing light.
The life that God offers us with Him is far beyond anything we could imagine when we become attuned to Him, responsive to His words, and obedient to all He says. A love relationship with God isn’t difficult, it’s freeing and life-giving. I’m not saying it will never feel like hard work but, when it does, it’s because we have to put something of ourselves in the way of God’s love. We all need to identify what we’ve put in the way, and then be willing to remove it for the sake of our relationship with Him.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” -Matthew 6:33
By prioritizing God’s will, He will provide what we need. And He will direct our efforts for success.
Your life without a computer: what does it look like?
Life without a computer would change how I live. I would not have as much conversation with my son. It would change because I would not have this blog.
I have lived life without a computer, and I am extremely thankful for that, because my children did not grow up with the internet or computers. It gave them more of a chance to learn how to communicate and think for themselves.
In today’s world the media teaches children what to think and not how to think.
Life without computers would likely be slower, more localized. It would lead to face to face interaction with I think would be a good thing.
From Pity to Praise 