Beauty in your life- change your thoughts for a positive outlook
What are your top ten favorite movies?
My favorite movies are
I also liked “The Chosen but it’s a series. The way these are portrayed the Bible was amazing. I can’t watch this series without feeling close to Jesus.
No matter how many college degrees or what kind of education we have received, there are some things that only life can teach us. Lessons from the “school of life.”
Friedrich Nietzsche said, “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.”
The meaning of purpose:
We may graduate with honors and choose a great career, but it can still make us feel unfulfilled. We need to learn the importance of finding meaning and purpose in our lives that go beyond the realm of a career and a good education.
How to be independent:
We need to learn how to be independent. To find ourselves, we must learn to think for ourselves.
We have to learn how to stand on our own two feet. We can’t rely on others to guide us forever. Until we take responsibility for ourselves because the world is against us, and we have to be prepared for it. No one is better equipped to answer your own questions but you.
We can’t control time:
We can’t control time. Life has a way of teaching us that we won’t always get what we want right away. No matter how well our management skills are, or hoe good we are at predicting the future. If it’s not our time, we can do nothing about it.
Moving on from failure:
Moving on from failure. We all fail in life, we must remember that success is not final, and failure isn’t fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.
When we were in school and failed a class, it was easy to make up for it or study harder for the next one. But in life failure can scar us or even change our perspective on the meaning of life. Life definitely teaches us the failing part of it, and that success can only come after many failures. We learn how to move on from failure and accept it as part of our journey.
How to be patient:
Aristotle said, “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”
While we can’t control time, we can learn that we must be patient enough to wait for what we want. Life doesn’t have a specific timeline set for us, but we can be patient and have faith that the things we want will come when we are ready for them rather than when we want them.
Life is difficult:
Once we truly know that life is difficult and accept it we can expect difficulties. Life gets harder more our responsibilities grow. We have learn how to roll with the punches, to survive and it’s not always smooth sailing.
We scatter our hearts in the wrong places:
We can pick the wrong careers, or the wrong partners who are not always kind to our hearts. We may not understand why we wasted our deepest emotions on something that brought us misery but life tends to let us know the reason eventually.
We have a choice:
Cassandra Clare put it this way, “In the end that was the choice you made, and it doesn’t matter how hard it was to make it. It matters that you did.”
Many things in life are out of our control, but we still have a choice. I had a counselor explain it this way:
There are fundamental approaches to navigating choices in life. The different levels of engagement with any situation, allow for proactive decision making and personal growth
This involves actively modifying the situation to align with your needs.
2. Accept it
Sometimes a situation is beyond your control or it is not worth the effort to change. Acceptance involves acknowledging the reality of the situation without resistance and finding ways to make peace with it.
3. Leave it
If a situation is truly detrimental or unchangeable and you cannot accept it, leaving it may be the best course of action. This means removing yourself from the situation, ending a relationship, or changing your priorities.
By consciously choosing how to respond to a situation, we can respond to any situation, and we can take control of our lives and create a more fulfilling life.
Accept that we all need help sometimes:
This is a hard one for me still today. The way I was raised, taught me, I could only depend on myself. No one would ever have my back. One time a drove to an emergency room hospital 70 miles away, because I thought I could never depend on anyone. When I arrived the doctor told me, I could have easily died on the way. He couldn’t believef I was lying in a hospital bed speaking to him. I should be unconscious. All I could say was that God was watching over me.
No matter how independent we are, we all need some sort of help along the way. We are not immune to disappointment, heartbreak, or danger. Sometimes we don’t have the strength to pick ourselves up. Life teaches us that we can’t make it alone even if we try.
Everything is temporary:
Everything in life is temporary. So if things are good, enjoy it because it won’t last forever. And if everything is going badly, don’t worry, it won’t last forever either.
Pain is temporary, feelings are temporary, even the world is temporary, which is why we have to make the best out of this temporary time and try not to give power to temporary emotions that tend to ruin our lives.
Never get attached to plans:
Woody Allen said once that, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him about your plans.”
It’s good to have a blueprint of how we want our lives to look 5 or 10 years down the road, but don’t get too attached to it, because plans change. Life teaches us we need a plan B, C, and D.
We have to face our fears:
Eventually, we all have to face our fears. We may be afraid of our fears, but they are not afraid of us.
Life teaches us that at some point we will come face to face with something that terrifies us. Losing someone we live with, losing a job, and moving away. We can’t escape fear so we have to learn how to face it and walk with it.
We have to love ourselves for who we are:
If we put a small value on ourselves, rest assured that the world will not raise our price.
If we want to make our lives a little easier we have to love ourselves for who we are. Not in a narcissistic way, but in a compassionate way. We have to learn to forgive ourselves for our mistakes and failures. We have to believe in ourselves and walk away from people who don’t value us.
Learning life lessons involves understanding personal growth, resilience, and the value of experience. The more you make conscious choices that align with your values the more you can create a life you desire.
What do you enjoy most about writing?
Writing helps me put my overthinking down on paper.
There’s a problem with being an overthinker. silence speaks to me. I hear the judgement in it. The disinterest, or nothing at all but somehow it is still something.
I over analyze everything. I have since I was young. So I write not to silence the noise but to give it a voice.
I wish I could be one of those people who just live. Say what they feel and move on. People think I’m chill and quiet but on the inside I constantly rewrite things, and constantly second- guessing everything.
I know this is how God made me. Because overthinking is often tied to strengths like deep empathy, that creates creativity foresight, and intelligence.
I write not to silence the noise but to give it a voice.
The journey from Egypt to the Promised Land should have taken only 11 days. But for the Israelites it took 40 years. This wasn’t because of distance -it was because of disobedience, fear, and lack of faith in God’s promises.
The Bible tells us that the journey from Mount Sinai (Horeb) to Kadesh-barnea should have taken only 11 days.
“It is eleven days journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir unto Kadesh-Barnea” -Deuteronomy 1:2
Kadesh-Barnea was the edge of the Promised Land it was the spot where the Israelites first stood ready to enter Canaan. But they didn’t go in.
What took so long?
The 40 year delay was not due to geography. It was because the people didn’t trust God. They sent spies to check the land. Ten of the twelve spies came back afraid. They said the people of the land were too strong.
Instead of bleeding, God‘s promises, the people panicked. They refused to go forward. This rebellion caused God to judge them.
In Numbers 14:34 God is speaking to the Israelites addressing their grumbling and disbelief, “After the number of the days in which you spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, you will bear your iniquities, even forty years, and you will know my alienation.”
They wandered in the wilderness one year for each day the spies explored Canaan.
God was teaching them something:
The 40 year delay was also a time for discipline and testing. God prepared their hearts and removed the old generation that didn’t trust Him.
In Deuteronomy 8:2, Moses is speaking to the Israelites. He is recounting their journey in the wilderness, reminding them of God’s guidance and testing.
“You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that He might humble you, to prove you, to know what was in your heart,whether you would keep His commandments, or not.”
This time tested their faith, refined their obedience, and prepared a new generation to enter the promised land with courage.
Only two men from the original adult generation entered Canaan: Joshua and Caleb. Because they trusted God when others did not.
Joshua showed strong faith and later led Israel across the Jordan.
There are lessons for us today we can learn from the Israelites 40 year journey. A few I have learned the hard way over the years.
God always has a way of testing and humbling us on this journey through life.
An 11 day journey took 49 years because of fear, not faith. God’s promise was sure, but the people’s hearts weren’t ready. Today we are also called to walk by faith, not by sight.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight” – 2 Corinthians 5:7
What do you love about where you live?
I love where I live because of there a unique blend of natural, beauty, and outdoor adventure. There are many national parks, diverse landscapes, and bodies of water.
You can from the mountains to the dessert in a weekend.
“Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren” –Deuteronomy 4:9
Jesus said in Matthew 22:36 what was His greatest command, “You shall love your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” The more fully we grasp the wonder of God’s love, the more fully we love Him, and the more we can accept and love ourselves.
I spend years, hating myself -my personality, my appearance, everything about me. It took along time to get past the negative beliefs I got from my mother. I have to admit I still struggle with letting go of negative thinking.
The Bible emphasizes the power of our thoughts can shape our lives and He encourages us to focus on positive, God honoring thoughts. Proverbs 23:7 says, For as he thinks in his heart so is he.”
How to begin to love your soul:
Psalms 103:12 tells us “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
There is something to be said about how I can forgive others at the drop of a hat, but have a hard time forgiving myself. I’ll ask God to forgive me, but it’s like the enemy sneaks in and yes, “no so fast.”
Refusing to forgive others is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die. Unforgiveness can hold you hostage. Bitterness is like cancer it eats us away from the inside out.
It’s important to remember that God is pleased with what He is doing in you. When we are secure in the Love of God, we will be able to release the fear that God is disappointed with us.”
It is only when we have mastered the art of loving ourselves that we can truly love others.
What positive emotion do you feel most often?
I haven’t always had felt positive emotions in my life. Most of my life I felt overwhelmed by negative emotions with a few positives sprinkled in from time to time.
But then something changed inside me and I began to have hope that was feeler with joy and peace.
This joy and peace were not dependent on external circumstances, they had a deep connection with the God of the universe. A deep trusting the God always had my back.
Through all circumstances whether it is. Whether I was struggling or thriving I always knew God was there
This brings me joy and peace.
Discovering how amazing your life in Christ is meant to be.
The Bible tells us the truth about who God created us to be and how He wants us to live.
Here is just a sample of who God says we will become if we follow Him. When we are born again we become spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for God’s purpose through our living and everlasting God. This is what 1 Peter 1:23 tells us.
Accepting God into our lives leads to a sense of peace, purpose, and a changed perspective on life. It can bring about a feeling of being loved, forgiven, and empowered to live a more empowered life.
How do you plan your goals?
I do the a weekly goal plan. Called my one thing. It is a powerful way to stay focused and make progress without feeling overwhelmed.
It’s simply a structure of defining a goal for the week.
What is the single most important thing you want to accomplish this week?
An example of this would be: work out 4 times this week or declutter a room.
2. Why this goal?
Why is Thai goal important right now?
An example would be: I want to be healthier. To do that I need to work out more. Or I this room has been collecting junk and needs to be removed.
3 Key actions
What 3-5 specific action will get you to this goal?
Name the actions needed to make this goal happen.
4. Weekly schedule (when you do these actions?)
Monday: I will go to the gym at 5:00 AM
Tuesday: I will walk 1 mile:
Break down the week into daily goals.
At the end of the week ask yourself. Did I accomplish this goal. What worked well what didn’t? What for in the way?
This can be done on a 5 day or 7 day week.
This is the basic goal sheet I use.
“And I will pray the Father, and He shall brings you another comforter, that He may abide with you forever” -John 14:16
Jesus taught His disciples about the Holy Spirit during their last night together in the upper room, He referred to the Holy Spirit as the “Comforter” on four occasions in John 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, and John 16:7.
For Jesus to repeat this title four times in three chapters tells me this point must be very important. When a phrase is repeated in scripture it has emphasis. Jesus was trying to get this point across to their hearts as well as our hearts what the truth of the Holy Spirit’s role as a “Comforter” so they would fully understand this truth.
Jesus’ promise in His teachings, spoke of sending the Holy Spirit as a “Helper” or “Comforter“ to His followers after He ascended to heaven.
If we look at the Greek translation for Comforter or Helper it can mean “advocate, counselor, or comforter,” highlighting the multifaceted role of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit as a comforter is understood to console and encourage -to provide comfort and strength in times of sorrow and difficulty
He is with us to remind us of Jesus’ teachings. To bring to mind the words and truths of Jesus and guide us in our faith.
He intercedes for us with God. He prays on our behalf, especially when we are struggling to find the right words.
He indwells within us, offering constant companionship and support.
He guides us in our daily lives and empowers us to live according to God’s will.
A personal relationship with the Holy Spirit is not just a concept but a living presence that believers can connect with personally to seek comfort and guidance.
We can experience the Holy Spirit’s comfort by inviting Him into our lives, surrendering our pain, and trusting in His presence.
Create an emergency preparedness plan.
The first thing in preparing for emergencies is to understand the types of emergencies would likely happen in the area you live. For example the area I live we are susceptible to floods and wildfires. And the human caused ones like terrorizing, or shooting. Which I suspect will get worse because the state government is sending people to my town for rehab “rehabilitation” programs from prison because we are out of the way, thinking people will not re-offend.
We need to have a way to stay informed. Having a 2-way radio with plenty of batteries.
Building an emergency kit is also important. Water, non perishable foods, flashlights, batteries, first aid kit, medications, copies of important document, cash, hugging supplies, multi tools, or knives, hygiene supplies, where to charge cell phones, like solar or power banks. It’s important to have contact information written down and a meeting place in case you get separated.
We all hope we won’t need an emergency preparedness plan, but it is essential to protect yourselves and your family. It’s important to have an organized plan.
From Pity to Praise