It’s Time To Stop Running

The season you’re in right now is significant. But when it feels like life isn’t going the way you hoped, it’s easy to run from it.

God is working through the season that your in. The time you have is significant but for God to work through it, you can’t run from it.

Be Happy Where You Are

Many of us continually postpone our happiness indefinitely. It’s not that we are consciously set up to do so, but we keep convincing ourselves. Someday I’ll be happy we fell ourselves we’ll be happy when out bills are paid, when we get out of school, or get married, then when our kids get older.

Meanwhile, life keeps moving forward. The truth is there no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It’s best to admit this to yourself and decide to be be happy anyway.

Adored D’Souza stated-for a long time it had seemed to me that life was abut to begin-real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. The prospective has helped me see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.

Life Is A Test. It Is Only A Test

There was a poster on a wall somewhere I was visiting the other day. Life is a test it’s only a test. Had this been a real life you would have been instructed where to go and what to do.

When you think of this humorous bit of wisdom, it reminds me not to take my life so seriously.

When you look at life and it’s many challenges as a test or a series of tests, you begin to see each issue you face as an opportunity to grow, a chance to roll with the punches. Whether you’re being bombarded with problems, responsibilities, even insurmountable hurdles, when we look at it as a test, we always have a chance to succeed, in the sense of rising above what is challenging us. If, on the other hand, you see each new issue you face with seriousness that must be won in order to survive, you’re probably in for a rocky journey. The only time you’re likely to be happy is when everything is working out just right. And we all know how often that happens.

As a experiment, see if you can apply this idea to something you are forced to deal with. Perhaps you have a difficult teenager or a demanding boss. See if you can redefine the same issue you face being a problem to being a test. Rather than struggling with your issue, see if there is something you can learn from it, Why is those issue in my life? What would it and mean? What could be involved to rise above it? Could I possibly look at this issue differently? Can I see it as a test of some time.

If you give this strategy a try you may be surprised at your responses. For example last week could have be disastrous for me. If it would have happened a few years ago I would have been a hysterical mess. I was driving to an appointment at a town I didn’t go often. The traffic was horrid, I got lost the address was very difficult, it took me four times to find the office and that was with my GPS taking me around in circles. By the time I made it to that appointment I was frustrated even before I entered the building. On the way home there was an accident that happened right behind me. I had reach home. I went to take my hearing aids out and one cracked apart in my ear. I had to send off for another one. My husband had some issues at work and he came home ornery. It was one thing after another. But, I refused to let it take control of my happiness. Looking to the small blessings I could see. This was a test I did not give up. Giving up only upsets me more. I kept Thanking God for those blessings. And tried hard to put the negative out of my mind. It’s easy to blame yourself or others when things like this happen, to tell myself “ If only I had gotten better directions” If only I would have went to the audiologist sooner,” If only my husband had cooled off on his way home instead of bringing his anger home.” I chose to be happy, my goal wasn’t to have a perfect week but to get through the week without yelling or blaming anyone. In other words my real challenge was to see my struggle as a test. Seeing these issues as a test helped me to cope with the frustrations I had to endure.

Yes, there will always be struggles in our lives. But as we see everything as a test we become more acceptable to the way things are.

Remember That You Become What You Practice Most

Repeated practice is one of the most basic principles of most spiritual and meditation paths. In other wards, whatever you practice most is what you become. Not only In spiritual or meditation but everything in your life. If you are in the habit of being uptight whenever life isn’t going right, repeatedly reacting to criticism by defending yourself, insisting on being right, allowing your thinking to snowball In respond to adversity, or acting like life is an emergency, then unfortunately your life will be a reflection of this type of practice. You will be frustrated because, in a sense you have practiced being frustrated.

However, you can choose to bring forth in yourself qualities of compassion, patience, kindness, humility, and peace again through practice. I guess it’s safe to say that practice makes perfect. Be careful of what you practice.

It not to say that you make your entire life into a great big project where the goal is to be constantly improving yourself. Only that it’s immensely helpful to become conscious of your own habits, both internal and external. Where is your attention? How do you spend your time? Are you practicing habits that are helpful to your stated goals? Is what you say you want in life consistent with what your life really stand for? Simply asking yourself these questions, and answering them honestly, helps to determine which strategies will be most useful for you. Have you ever said to yourself I’d like to spend more time by myself or I’ve always wanted to learn to meditate, yet somehow you’ve never found the time?

Many people sadly spend more time washing their car or watching reruns on television shows they don’t even enjoy than they do than making time for aspects of life that nurture their hearts. When you will remember that what you practice you become, you may begin choosing different types of practice.

Big John Coal Miner Statue

Big John is a towering coal miner entirely covered in glossy black paint made in 1964 This statue is in Helper Utah.

When Life Seems Unfair

Have you ever felt like life is unfair? I’m sure we all have. It’s easy to get frustrated when people who don’t follow Jesus or care about Him seem to do well in life. A business person who cheats to get a big contract, the people who party all the time who is robust and healthy while you or your love one’s struggle with finances or medical issues. It make us feel cheated, like maybe we’ve been good for nothing by following Jesus in his will and ways.

If you’ve ever felt this way, your in good company.

In Psalm 73 David writes a whole list of how the wicked prosper then, he says, “surely in vain I have kept my heart pure.” But the tide of his thoughts turns when he recalls him time in God’s presence. “Then he understood their final destiny in Psalm 17.

When we spend time with God and see things from His point of view, it changes our perspective completely. We may be jealous of non-believers now, but we won’t be at Judgement time. As the saying goes, what difference does it make if you win the battle but lose the war.

Let’s praise God’s for his presence in this life and His promise of the life to come

Psalm 73: 25-28

He is all you need, even when life seems unfair.

Song By Ryan Stevenson- The Gospel

A restless generation. We’re turning over every stone. Hoping to find salvation. In a Worlds that’s left us cold.

Can we get back to the Gospel? Bactto the arms of our first love, there’s only one way to the Father and He’s calling out to us.

To the captive, it looks life freedom. To the orphan, it feels like home. To the skeptics, it might sound crazy to believe in God who loves. In a world, where hearts are breaking and we’re lost in the mess we’ve made. Like a blinding light, in the dead of night. It’s the Gospel

The Gospel that makes a way. It’s the Gospel that makes a way.

It’s the cure for our condition. It’s the good news for us all. It’s greater that religion. It’s the Power of the Cross.

The amazing news of the Gospel. Is not that we can receive Jesus into our lives. But that He’s already received us into His.

In my own life, it means forgiveness. When I know I deserve to fall. It called me out of darkness and carried me to cross. In a moment, my heart was changed. Like a blinding light, in the dead of night. It’s the Gospel.

This song it so true. I was at the point where, I went to a doctor and he said “I don’t know why you haven’t killed yourself yet? I was in a very dark place. It was what that Doctor said that actually got me thinking. Why haven’t I killed myself yet? I had fought to live my entire life when I wanted to die.

It was God who kept me alive, Did He really have a purpose for my life. I believe he did. I didn’t know then what it was. He is using my story to help others find hope. Yes, It’s that simple.

Garbage In Garbage Out

We need to treat our bodies well so that God can work to His full extent.

You would pour water into your gas tank into a vehicle and expect it to run. That would be ridiculous. But what about your body, it will only take so much punishment. Scientists have been warning us about the use of tobacco and alcohol, nervous tension, obesity. And yet we chose to press our luck.

In Genesis 1: 29 and 2: 16, God gave Adam and Eve every herb and tree that yielded seed. The diet God gave his people in the beginning was fruits, grains, nut and vegetables. After the flood of Noah he could eat every moving thing that eats, but to not eat the blood. Some people argue that God gave Noah permission to eat things like snakes and cockroaches. But in Genesis 7: 2 it shows us the Noah knew the difference between clean and unclean animals.

I think this goes for every area of our lives. For example if you watch horror movies it can change your mood. It can make you angry. I used to love horror movies, but after watching them I became angry and just plain mean to everyone around me. That’s not how I wanted to life my life. Some people say things like that don’t change who you are. I disagree. How about watching pornography? Or hanging out with friend that steal?

1 Corinthians 15: 33 says “Do not be deceived: Bad company ruin good morals.

What words come out of your mouth? Is it Good or Bad? What you are saying out load affects the energy and people around you.

When my son entered the Service one of the first things they taught him was Garbage in Garbage out. He had never heard that before. And didn’t understand what it meant at supper that night he learned. He told me they have great food, even a dessert table, ice cream, pudding, cake and so on. Being a dessert lover my son enjoyed himself. About an hour after supper they were called to do a ten mile run. His Sergeant said to them “garbage in garbage out.” If garbage goes in it has to come out. He never had dessert again after that. For some reason his story has taken a tole on me.

It’s the same with what you put into your mind. When your constantly putting garbage in what do you expect will come out. Garbage right. It’s not like you wonder why is this happening to me. Or I don’t know why this is happening. Take a look at what you’ve been watching, doing, reading eating. You will probably find your answer.

At some point, what we see and hear moves from being in our heads to being in our heart

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God has made it clear that living a blame life life takes determination to follow his ways. In psalm 101:3 we are given the instruction to be careful, watchful and aware. When we see evil, in any for, we are to put it to silence and cut it off.

We must constantly look upon what is good set God’s Word before us everyday. We must look to Him whose walk is blameless. What ever is true, noble, right, pure, what ever is lovely, admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things.

Erase the evil- embrace the good. We want places of peace and harmony and filled with love. Is that what you invite in?

What we bring into our homes invades our minds and eventually our hearts. And what is in our hearts will come out of our mouths and dictate our actions.

Luke 6: 45 says: The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart his mouth speaks.

We all have a Guilty Pleasures, What’s yours? Mine is having friend time and enjoying a couple of beers on Friday nights. Sometimes it can feel God wants to ruin our fun but when we know God’s character and how He is good and knows what’s best. I would be just as happy having friend time and drink a soda, or water.

Make Peace With Imperfection

I’ve yet to meet an perfections whose life was filled with inner peace. The need for perfection and the desire for inner tranquility conflict with each other. Whenever we are attached to having something a certain way, better than it already is we are almost engaged in a losing battle.

Rather than being content and grateful for what we have, we are focused on what’s wrong with something and our need to fix it. When we are zeroed in on what’s wrong it says we are dissatisfied, discontent.

Whether it’s related to ourselves or a disorganized closet, a scratch on our car, a few pounds we would like to lose-or someone else’s imperfections- the way some else behaves, or lives their life. The very act focusing on imperfection pulls us away from our goals of being kind and gentle.

This has nothing to do with ceasing todo your very best but with being overly attached and focused on what’s wrong with your life. It’s about realizing that there’s always a better way to do something, this doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy and appreciate, the way things already are.

The solution may be to catch yourself when you fall into your habit of insisting that things should be other than they are. Remind your self that life is okay the way it is right now. That in the absence of your judgement, everything would’ve fine.

This was a hard lesson for me to learn. It took me awhile to realize that everything would turn out fine without me poking my nose into everything that was going on. One day I thought to myself I’m stopping what I’m doing. I’m not going to sweat it. It gave me so much peace when I learned to simply walk away and let things be.

As you begin to eliminate your need for perfection in all areas of your life, you’ll begin to discover the perfection in life itself.

The only thing we can be perfect at is love.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfect in love.

1 John 4: 18

Why Are You Waiting?

We are doing quite a bit of waiting at this moment. It’s never easy because you want to get to the other side of whatever you’re facing.

We are all facing the same storm, but we are all certainly not in the same boat.

Steve Furtlick

There are some of the same concerns for all people right now, but some are facing different challenges on top our universal concerns.

While we stumble through the wilderness looking for a way out, don’t lose hope. Faith is the most important thing you can have right now.

The other side of the storm is your promised land. When you get there, don’t be afraid to enter it.

This may sound like common sense, but some may hesitate. Why? You get stuck in the storms of life for so long sometimes it can be hard to believe when the waves have calmed down and the wind has stopped.

Everything you are facing right now will pass. You will get through it. Never stop believing God’s promises for your life.

When the storm has passed, take possession of the life God has planned for you. Make your test your testimony to His goodness.

What promises of God have to held onto in your storms?

How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord has given you?

Joshua 18:3

There is a song I like to listen you when I get discouraged when going through a storm.

Holy Ground

For when we have a need He is still the answer Reach out and claim it for we are standing on Holy Ground.