Bring Your Own Sunshine

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather always bring your own sunshine.

I believe that how we feel shouldn’t depend on our surroundings. It is all a question of perspective. Maybe you are going to play football outside, but then it starts raining. You might start to turn angry, or you might thing of the rain as a wonderful chance to learn to control the ball on the wet grass. And if you have ever played football, you should know it’s much funnier to tackle on wet grass than on dry grass.

We can decide what kind of mood we bring with us into a room. It might be grey weather all around us, but we have the possibility of bringing sunshine into the room. We have the chance to make a change in our surroundings. It’s incredible what a smile might do to the people you meet. And it is incredible what a smile might do to yourself.

Don’t let the weather destroy your mood today. Bring your own sunshine with you and let the sun rays coming from you hit everyone you meet today.

Withstanding The Storm- You Are Stronger Than You Think

Have you ever watched a tree withstand a strong thunderstorm? The branches quiver, the leaves flap backwards in the wind, and the top sways from side to side. As lightning flashes and thunderclaps sound, the tree trembles and roils in the downpour of heavy rain. However, when the storm ceases and the clouds roll away, the tree still stands. Yes, there may be some vulnerable places of stripped bark, so branches may be missing; and a smattering of leaves may rest on the ground below; but the tree still stands.

Nature often offers hints to the principles of living as nature is itself alive. When we consider a tree outlasts a storm, we often give credit to the roots for its survival. Solid wood, thick roots, and an unmovable trunk are the key features that make up the essence of a tree tree. Planted deeply and firmly in the ground, a tree is a tree because it’s roots and does not move from where it first blooms. By withstanding a storm, a tree merely lives up to its

We, like a tree, have amazing features, an essence that defines who you are all of your capabilities. Though we may not always feel it, or fully understand it,it is our nature to be strong. Consider all the you have been through-and you are still here! You are strong. Just as a tree was meant to last through storms, so have you been designed to withstand the elements to stay upright, to remain rooted and grounded where you’ve been planted. You are stronger that you think. Yes, there may be some vulnerable spots where you bark has been stripped down, and there maybe some missing and some torn leaves during the changing seasons of your life, but like a tree that can weather the harvest storm, you, by nature, have been created to be strong.

What keeps our strength from showing? What convinces us that we are weak? Our misconceptions can come from two places: external influences and internal lies. Challenging circumstances are the external elements. The storms we face in life that we cannot control can be excessively harsh and capable of wearing us down. Whether these downpours are initiated by so called love ones, workplace issues, health concerns, or economic conditions, we can find ourselves feeling battered and weak and left with poor esteem, dashed hopes, and brokenness. However, strength presents the opportunity for light to shine. Even a single lit match can remove the blackness from a room, proving that a simple show of strength, however slights, is still enough to overpower a storm. Don’t let the elements fool you. You are still strong.

Internal lies try to convince us that we are weak. Listen to your self-talk. Is your mind focused on messages of defeat and compromise? Are you continuing convincing yourself that you don’t matter, that you are not worthy, that you have no place or right to be where you are? You are strong. Tell yourself that and believe it. If you don’t think you are strong, ask yourself why you think that you are not. Where did the idea that you are weak come from! Is that belief really true? Why are you holding on to it? What truth about yourself, about your strength, can you now believe?

Don’t be afraid to assert your strength. It is okay to do so. Know that strength does not have to growl or roar, beat or batter. Consider again the tree. It makes no noise by itself. It remains quiet unless the elements dictate otherwise. It stands steady and still when at peace. Like a tree, exist in your strength. Recognize when to make noise and when to bend with the breeze, but don’t be easily moved. You are strong.

Not Sure What To Pray For?

Talking to God doesn’t always feel easy, but if we want to know God more, then we need to know how to talk humbly and honestly with Him.

Here are three things that might encourage you as you draw near to God through prayer.

Pick one or two points that stand out to you, and use them to create a Prayer in your own version.

God isn’t concerned about how eloquent your words sound. He just wants to spend time with you. Some of the best conversations with God happen when you simply share what’s on your mind and then give Him the space to respond.

Try Asking:

God, what should I do about….?

God, what do you think about….?

God, would you…?

God, why did this…?

Keep it real

God isn’t going to get mad at you for being honest, so be authentic when you pray. Remember, nothing can separate you from God’s love. So if you’re not sure what to say, tell God that. If you’re frustrated about a situation, say so. He wants you to approach Him with confidence and boldness.

Talk to God about a concern you might have right now.

Try saying:

I’m struggling with..

I need help with…

I don’t understand why…

I’m frustrated because…

Keep showing up

Praying might feel awkward at first, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes. This week continue to make prayer a habit by having at least 5 minute conversation with God every day.

Here are some conversation starters:

I’m hoping for…

I’m thankful for…

I’m excited because…

Today, I noticed…

You will be surprised when God starts showing up for your life. Pleasantly surprised.

How To Escape Despair

“Life has no meaning. Each of us has meaning and we bring it to life. It is a waste to be asking the question when you are the answer.” -Joseph Campbell-

I have lost a lot of friends in my life. Each time I came face to face with the pain of loss, I was presented with a choice. In looking back at my life, I have come to realize that the choice was always the same.

At age 18, for five years I squandered away my existence, lost in the world of drugs. Three friends who shared this life with me are no longer alive today due to the degree to which we immersed ourselves in despair and self-destruction.

As common place as this may sound, the truth is almost overnight, my life changed forever with a terrifying experience.

One night I was sitting in a strangers home doing drugs. When I found myself unable to move, paralyzed if you will. It was as if I was tied to the chair. As I listened to the sirens of the police cars. I knew our little party was going to be busted. Every one was running around and their I sat. Unable to move. Just then I was picked up by man, and was carried out the back door, thrown in a truck as we raced down a back road. That was the last night I did drugs. Never wanting to be in the position again.

Within the next few weekends three of my drugging buddies die of overdoses.

It triggered something in me to stop living with disregard for human life. I left my life of despair. And ended up marrying the man who picked me up on that night.

But, there was a lot of pain that I hid inside from my childhood. No one knew anything about. Soon that pain had taken over my life. It took me until my children were grown, to have the courage to tell a counselor the entire experience of my childhood and what I was experiencing because of it. That’s when I began to heal. Only when I told my secrets I was hiding all those years.

As I was holding on the pain, it had destroyed my emotional health, my physical health, and my spiritual health. I was suffering from a mood disorder that was wrecking havoc on my life. I was diagnosed with cancer, digestive system problems, migraines, and on and on it went.

I have come to learn that no matter what change you want to make in life, you have to fight for it and break through the hundreds of walls that come in the way of your true destiny.

Dr. Martin Luther King said, “change does not roll in on wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.”

The true measure of our lives is how we face that struggle is not the absence of fear, but the ability to persevere despite it. It is through struggle that we discover our potential. Beyond those fateful frontiers of our comfort zone we find our growth and freedom.

Every time death comes into my life, we are presented with the same choices: To embrace the struggle and create meaning beyond our boundaries of our existence or to life in our comfort zones of our own reality.

Sometimes we bring meaning to our lives through the wars going on within ourselves. But, we have to learn how to bring meaning by working in our conflict zones.

Types Of Dreams And Their Meanings

Some people dismiss the idea that dreams can have significance. Others believe that their spiritual meaning in every dream and that all should be interpreted and taken seriously.

I believe their is a balanced Biblical viewpoint that lies somewhere in between these two extremes.

Identifying which type of dreams we have had can help us determine whether to consider a potential meaning in the dream.

Processing Dreams

Dreaming is a normal function of the brain, occurring mainly during the REM stage of sleep.

Have you every noticed that when your worried about something you dream about it all night long? or you watch a scary movie and then have nightmares.

That is your brain processing your dreams.

Some processing dreams we don’t remember at all. And they fade quickly. Unless your a vivid dreamer and then you can easily recall them. Sometimes people refer to unusual dreams as meaningless dreams as pizza dreams.

The garage in garbage out applies to dreams. Whatever we feed our senses and mind with will find expression in our dreams.

Ecclesiastes 5:7 tells us “Much dreaming and many words as meaningless.

If you are uncertain about a dream you’ve had, pray about it. Perhaps it may fit in one of the other dream types.

Prophetic Dreams

I had a situation that I’d been praying for. It was about a young couple I knew that had just had a baby. The an had been abusing his wife and their baby. It had gotten so bad, she had a protective order against him, but he would try to break in the house. The police arrested him. I’ve been praying for God to fix the problem for a couple weeks.

One night I had a dream that the man would leave the state. I felt confident that is was God answering my prayer. In my dream. 3 months later he left and still had fines to pay. He fled the state and has had nothing to do with his wife of child for 3 years now.

“For God may seek in one way, or in another, yet a man doesn’t perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon us, while slumbering on our beds, he opens our ears and seals our understanding. -Job 33:14-16-

From the book of Genesis all the way through the Bible, dreams are one way that God speaks to His people.

However, even those who are gifted in the areas of dreams and dream interpretations only has a few dreams that were significant enough to be recorded in the Scriptures.

Joel and Peter mentioned dreams as one manifestation of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, a,one with prophecy and visions. -Acts 2:17-

There are many ways God uses Dreams in the Bible. Example:

  • Warnings. (Abimilek, Genesis 20:2-8)
  • Revealing destiny and the call of God. (Joseph, Genesis 37:5-10)
  • Importation of a spiritual gift or ability. (Solomon, 1 Kings 3-5)
  • A strategy for provision. ( Jacob, Genesis 31:10)
  • A sign of His presence. (Jacob’s ladder, Genesis 28:12)
  • Guidance. (Paul, Acts 16:9)

I occasionally have dreams that are greater than usual about future events that I feel God is using me to guide me. I think they are to inform me of my life and how to deal with situations when they occur. These are dreams where I awake immediately after them and I’m sitting straight up in bed.

Soul Dreams

Soul dreams reveal emotions, attitudes, or beliefs that we may by trying to deny or repress.

Signs You May Be Having A Soul Dream include:

  • Actual memories resurfacing in your dreams.
  • Vivid emotions that can link to an event, past, present or future.
  • Repeating, or reoccurring dreams.

Soul dreams can indicate a response, such as fear or anger, to an event that is happening at present in our lives, or that we are anticipating in the future. If something from your past is surfacing in a dream, you can be assure that it is ready to be dealt with and God is waiting to bring healing to you.

We should never dismiss soul dreams as being unimportant. They give us insight to our inner world and can be powerful when seen in God’s light.

If you’re having soul dreams that you believe are significant, pray about them and ask God how you should respond. If needed find a mentor or wise Christian council to pray with you and process whatever is coming to the surface. (I call my Pastor)

Wisdom For Living

The book of Proverbs is packed with God’s wisdom and what’s more, these short sayings are easy to understand and apply to our lives.

Jimi Hendrix once said knowledge speaks but wisdom listens.

Many of the eternal truth in the Bible have to be carefully inked, like gold deep underground. The book of Proverbs, however, is like a mountain stream littered with nuggets just waiting to be picked up.

Proverbs fall into a ancient category called wisdom literature other examples include the book of Job, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon in the Old Testament. Some Psalms are also characterized as wisdom Psalms.

Like the rest of the Bible, Proverbs points to God’s plan of salvation but perhaps more subtly. This book showed the Israelites the right way to live, God’s way. As they put this wisdom to use, they would have demonstrated qualities of Christ toward each other as well as setting an example for the gentiles around them.

I’ve heard it said that Psalms and Revelations are the two most important books in the Bible, but I think I would add the book of Proverbs to that.

The book of Proverbs has so much to teach us today. It’s timeless wisdom helps us avoid trouble, observe the Golden Rule and honor God with our lives.

The Author of the book of Proverbs is written by King Solomon famous for him wisdom, he was said to be the smartest man during that time. Other contributors included a group of men called “The wise, Agur and King Lemuel.

Proverbs was written during the reign of King Solomon, 971-931 BC. (before Christ)

Proverbs has several audiences. It is addressed to parents for instruction to their children. The book also applies to men and women who are seeking wisdom, and finally, it supplies practical advice for today’s readers who want to a godly life.

Although Proverbs was written in Israel thousands of years ago, it’s wisdom applies to any culture at any time.

Themes Of Proverbs

Every person can have right relationships with God and others by following the timeless advice in Proverbs. It’s many themes cover work, money, marriage, friendship, family life, perseverance, and pleasing God.

Key Characters

The characters in Proverbs are types of people we can learn from; wise people, fools, simple folks, and the wicked. They are used in these short sayings to point out behavior we should avoid or imitate.

Keys Verses

Proverbs 1:7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him,and He will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 18:22. He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.

Proverbs 30:5. Every word of God’s is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

An outline of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:9-18. Benefits of wisdom and warnings against adultery and folly.

Proverbs 10:1, 24:34. Wise advice for all people.

Proverbs 25:1, 31:31. Wise advice for leaders.