I think in order to be open to creativity one must have the capacity for constructive solitude. Once one can overcome the fear of being alone they are more open to becoming creative.
Creativity flourishes in solitude. When we are quiet we can hear our thoughts, we are able to reach deep within ourselves and focus.
In having time for our thoughts we get to know ourselves and can face our giants and deal with them. Creativity requires time to unwind and find peace with ourselves which gives us time to reflect on what we’ve done and leave from it. Isolation from the influences of others helps us hear our own voice. And allows us to appreciate the smaller things that get lost in the roar.
I would have to say my biggest influence in my life. Someone I can trust, someone I can go to with anything life throws at me. Someone that actually cares where my soul goes would be my Pastor.
Throughout the last 10 years he has become my spiritual father. He is not only a Hungarian which is my ancestry. His mannerisms remind me of the father. There is just a bond between us, because of this ancestry.
He cares about me, and prays for me, and is concerned with my well being. He provides a spiritual covering for me with love.
He teaches me doctrine and models what it’s like to be a follower of Jesus.
He is present in my life, I know if I have anything troubling me I can go to him. He will listen and understands and is willing to pray for me and help me figure things out.
It’s like he is my spiritual father: someone God has given me to help me grow in the things of life. Someone who will help me fulfill my destiny.
Christmas lights inspire wonder throughout the season. Ever since I was a little girl I loved Christmas lights. I used to wander through my neighborhood at night to look at Christmas lights. The Christmas trees in people’s windows. The lights always put me in a state of awe.
As I grew older the lights were not just about the beauty anymore, but they became what they symbolized. A loving God, who cares for us, the hope in the redemption of darkness. Christmas lights shine as powerful symbols of hope. They direct our attention to Jesus, who tells us in the Bible:
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” -John 8:12
Despite the darkness of suffering in our world, we can still experience the wonder of light. Light is always stronger than darkness. Light dispels darkness, but darkness cannot dispel light. Even a small amount of light is visible in a large amount of darkness.
Spiritually, the light of hope can dispel the darkness of despair even in the toughest of situations. Know matter how dark my situation had become growing up, I still had hope, even when I saw no way out of my darkness and didn’t understand why some things were happening. Hope was still there.
We can trust Jesus to encourage and guide us in the dark and to redeem our suffering for good purposes.
The Bible tells us,
“The Word gave life to everything that we created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it” -John 1:4-5
Our relationship with God turns on the light of hope in our souls. Then we can shine our light into this world. Christmas lights remind us to stay plugged into a connection with God -He is our ultimate power source. They enlighten us to choose what’s good in a world where much has gone wrong. I like to think Christmas lights highlight God‘s strength in a dark world. They radiate hope.
When life gets tough and challenging the joyfulness that comes from God enables us to overcome anything that stands in our way. When we declare “The joy of the Lord is my strength” it’s this statement that if made in faith transcends our circumstances.
It’s a statement that defies logic and reason, but it has supernatural effects. It’s a give from above, a precious treasure that is bestowed on us by a God who loves us beyond measure.
In this life, we have to navigate the ups and downs, and we must remember that this joy is not fleeting or shallow, but a wellspring of eternal delight that flows from the very heart of our Creator.
It’s a joy that bubbles up within us, that manifests in gratitude and unshakeable peace that surpasses all understanding. This allows us to dive into the depths of His divine joyfulness and discover the strength it brings to our souls.
The joy of the Lord is not mere
happiness or fleeting emotion, but a deep and abiding sense of inner peace and contentment that can only come from the presence of God.
It’s a joy that surpasses all understanding, that fills our hearts and overflows into every aspect of our lives, transforming our sorrows into dancing and our mourning into gladness.
This joy is not dependent on anything external but rather it is a supernatural gift from God that carries us even amid difficult times.
It is a joy that empowers us to rejoice all the time and to give thanks in all circumstances as well as praise God in every situation
It is a powerful joy that enables us to experience true freedom and victory and strengthens, lifts and fills is us with hope.
It’s a supernatural joy that radiates from us and draws others to the goodness and love of the heavenly Father.
Psalm 16:11 tells us that in God’s presence, there is complete joy and eternal pleasure, signifying that the true source of lasting happiness and fulfillment is only found in a close relationship with God.
“You will show me the path of life. In Your presence is fullness of joy. In Your right hand there are pleasures forever more.” -Psalm 16:11
True joy isn’t dependent on outward circumstances, but on the unchanging character of our Lord and Savior.
When the trials of life threaten to overwhelm us, the joy of the Lord enables us to press forward and conquer.
Without the joy that comes from God we are left empty and void, searching for meaning and purpose in all the wrong places.
In 1967 along with the “summer of love,” was the “Jesus people movement” in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Jesus Movement emerged from the social turmoil that was going on. Young people turned to conservative Christianity after becoming disillusioned with the drug and hippie culture.
There was a recent movie about this time in history. “The Jesus Revolution.”
There is no doubt that I made a mess of my life. I didn’t get a very good start in life. And I destroyed what good was in it. But I have managed, with a lot of God’s help to turn my mess of a life into a pretty good message.
God is really good at cleaning up messes. Moses is a good example of God turning messes into something good. Moses messed up his life big time. He was an Israelite, who floated down a river, only to be collected by Pharaoh’s daughter and claimed him as her own. He was being trained to be the next leader of Egypt. He ended up killing a taskmaster and had to escape to Midian because Pharaoh wanted to kill him.
After 40 years without hearing from God, God spoke to Him and told him He wanted to use him. Basically telling Moses “I am the Lord, the God of all men” who have failed and who need second chances. This means I can use you. God chose Moses (an ordinary man) to accomplish His purposes.
God’s people had become slaves in Egypt and He wanted to free them. He had heard their cries of distress because of the way they were being treated. He was aware of His people’s suffering and wanted to rescue them, and wanted to use Moses to do it.
I am thankful God comes to our rescue. Even after I completely destroyed my life, God came to my rescue, and gave me the opportunity to heal from my pain and suffering. The mess I alone had made due to the rotten circumstances I grew up in, and some poor mistakes I refused to take responsibility for.
It was a slow process, and something I had to fight every day for, but it was worth it in the end. God changed my life of chaos and disarray into something positive -being a messenger for Him, helping others whenever necessary. 
When we give God a chance and open the door He has been knocking on, He can do amazing things.
We can often feel small and think that what we have to offer God is little and insufficient. But remember that Lazarus received new life when he died, when he could no longer offer anything to God, it was at that moment when the Father resurrected him and acted in him.
God uses, the least likely, where we least expect it. Whether there is no more path, in the valley of dry bones, God, forms, flesh, and gives new life. Pouring wisdom in a place of misinformation and giving a clean look and a place of blurred vision.
I never would’ve thought in 1 million years that God could use this broken soul. When I was at rock bottom and ready to give up, that’s when God came into my life and began to use me for his kingdom.
“But God chose the foolish things of the world that He might put to shame those who are wise. God chose weak things of the world, that He might put to shame the things that are strong, and God chose the lowly things of the world, and the things that are despised, and that things that don’t exist, that He might bring to nothing the things that exist” -1 Corinthians 1:27-29
People who never thought they would come close to God experience a deep encounter with Jesus. Everyone can hope that God can turn a heart stone into a heart of flesh as it’s written and Ezekiel 36:26.
“I will give you a new heart and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.”
God uses precisely those who are despised in the human eye, to confront our pride and what we consider praise worthy that is a strong revelation for us to understand that the only reason for honor that exist for us is the power of God in our favor, which makes us justified, holy and free. All of us, rich or poor, popular or not depend on the same grace and mercy.
The wisdom of this world is not the wisdom of God. Being a follower of Jesus reduces us to walking against what society preaches. The most pleasant path to the human eye can be those that lead us to God. We have to follow the painful path of the cross, which makes us renounce our desires.
Understanding the wisdom of God is often considered foolishness and weakness in the world. God has a path for us, even if many make us feel discouraged or like it doesn’t seem worth anything in their eyes.
“For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” –1 Corinthians 1:25
I learned to observe people from a very young age due to circumstances in my home. So, it’s easy for me to actively observe a persons actions, because I can listen attentively to their words, and tone which a,lows me to consider their body language and look at the consistency between stated values and their behavior over time.
I learned to pay close attention to details like facial expressions, postures and how they intersect with others.
There are.always patterns in behaviors, and how someone actions align with their words that Guatemalan authenticity.
Because I was unable to speak at home. I learned through analyzing information about people objectively which allows potential inconsistencies or if you will “red flags in someone’s behaviors.
I like to think my mother gave me a gift without even knowing it. From her evil, came a hidden gemstone I could use later in life.
Being slow to speak means controlling your words and not blurting out everything the comes to mind. And being quick to listen means waiting for the whole story before sharing your opinion, listening more than you take and understanding the person’s perspective. People show us their character if you can be slow to talk and observe their actions.
When we learn that Satan has access to us when we are outside of the will of God in our lives it changes the whole game. Gratitude keeps us in the perfect will of God and fortified us against Satan and his minions (fallen angels). Are there areas in your life where gratitude may be lacking? If I find an area where I am lacking I quickly ask for forgiveness and realign myself with God’s Word.
“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” -1 Thessalonians 5:18.
Even if the dat seems to be the worst day of my life, I try to remember that it is made by the Lord, and He is fully good all the time. When I look for the goodness in my day instead of the mess my day is, it changes my perspective to identify the blessings He shows me everyday. God’s goodness is always present. Sometimes I just have to be intentional on focusing on His goodness in the chaos around me.
‘Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” -Hebrews 12:28-29.
I try to remember this scripture if everything around me is crumbling to the ground. We can ask give thanks that we are a part of a foundation that cannot be shaken. That foundation is set free from the kingdom of the enemy -the unshakable kingdom of God can very tangibly be built on the inside of us. When this foundation is built on God our Rock then we can walk through the most troubling times with the steadiness of knowing deep down in the pits of our being that we will not be shaken because of fear, anxiety, anger, despair, hopelessness, depression, addiction, confusion, and doubt. No longer will they have a hold on us.
God gave us authority to fight against evil (Ephesians 6:12-13. And in Matthew 28:18 Jesus said “all authority in heaven has been given to Me.” While in Luke 10:19 He says “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” This is not to be taken in a literal sense, but in a spiritual realm sense. This is why He has given us the “Armor of God,” to defend ourselves against the wiles of the enemy.
This is why I will forever sing God’s praises and rejoice in the unshakable kingdom of God that can be built strong in us which destroys every work of the enemy, keeping me in a place of peace and allows me to love and receive love unhindered for God.
This peace and love is available to all of us if we build upon the Rock of Jesus. It is the symbol of strength, stability and refuge that is found in Him.
My happiness lie with my adult children from seeing them grow into independent, responsible people, and experiencing a deep connection based on mutual respect. I enjoy the privilege of being present in their lives. I enjoy spending time with them, and speaking to them on the phone.
Them being able to navigate their own paths in life and still offering support when they need it. Brings my happiness.
When I chose to become a parent, I knew it would be hard work, I knew I would have to put them first before myself. I’ve had to make sacrifices for them, but it was worth it. To see how much they’ve accomplished because of the values I instilled in them, was worth it. They bring me happiness every day, knowing I was successful as my job as a parent.
Real faith in God -Bible faith does not insulate believers from encountering life’s problems. But it does ensure that we come out of every situation as of victory, not a victim.
What does real faith look like?
We know that God wants us to have His kind of faith. The God-kind of faith believes and speaks. That’s how God created the universe. (Genesis 1, Mark 11:22-24, Hebrews 11:1).
Faith is a spiritual force. In other words, faith is a spiritual issue, not a natural issue. Faith is a man spirit, not of his mind or body.
When we are dealing with faith in God, faith from God, and the faith of God, we must realize that God is a spirit (John 4:24). Therefore, faith in Him is a spiritual issue to be discerned and operated spiritually.
The Spirit of Faith
The Bible says, we are spiritual beings and talks about the “hidden person of the heart” (1 Peter 3:4). Man (or woman) is a spirit, both have a soul and live in a body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Bible faith is a man re-created spirit, not of his mind or flesh. It is a spiritual force. The Bible calls it “the spirit of faith.”
“We having the same spirit of faith, according as it id written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken, we also believe, and therefore speak.
What is the Spirit of Faith?
It’s bleeding with the heart or spirit and speaking with the mouth (Romans 10:9-10). Biblical faith is not assent or intellectual agreement. Faith is a spiritual force that grows and develops in the heart or spirit of man.
The Rhema Spiritual Force
Jesus said that His Word is spirit and life (John 6:63). Therefore, Bible faith comes from God’s Word:
“Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” -Romans 10:17
God’s word has ability to produce a spiritual force within our hearts called “faith.”
As we hear the written Word of God, it develops faith inside of us. And we believe the written Word of God. Then as we speak the Word of God, in a sense it becomes a Rhema Word of God to us.
The word “Rhema is a Greek word. in its literal sense, it simply means “speaking” or “the spoken word.” The word of God that is spoken in faith becomes the “Rhema” Word.
The Rhema word of God – the Word of God spoken is a spiritual force. it must be dealt with spiritually. Unless you understand it spiritually, there is no way to explain the Rhema Word of God. They are spiritually discerned.
Faith is Not an isolated Spiritual Force
Faith is a spiritual force, but it is not isolated. That means faith was never meant to work by itself. It works in conjunction with other spiritual forces.
For example: Scriptural prayer is s spiritual force that releases the power of God. But it takes faith to activate prayer. The love of God is also a spiritual force, but it takes love to make faith operate. Galatians 5:6 says that “faith works by love.”
The natural and spiritual must also function together. A persons threefold nature -spirit, soul, and body must work together.
In the human body, all of the bodily systems much function properly and work together. Even though the bodies respiratory, digestive, and so on are different and operate separately, they must also operate together in harmony to allow the body to function properly.
That’s the way faith works. It’s not an isolated force that operates alone. Faith functions in harmony with the other spiritual forces that God has set in motion, such as love, hope, patience, and prayer.
The Bible says we are to add other spiritual qualities to our faith. By doing so, our faith is strengthened.
2 Peter 1: 5-9 says we need diligence, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. This scripture also says that if we add these qualities to our faith, our faith won’t be barren or unfruitful. It will produce for us.
Many believers have studied God’s Word and increased their faith, but they don’t seem to be receiving all they should from believing God. Many times they have not added these qualities to their faith and try to operate their faith in an isolated spiritual cocoon.
A few weeks ago I attended a “men in black” themed birthday party. For a friend that was legally blind. Celebrating a 80 year old’s birthday party I thought I would go drop off his gift and leave.
But to my surprise there were about 75 people there. And since I have a thing for people watching I had to stay and watch. Everyone was dressed like the people in the movie dancing and singing whether they were good at it or not. It made for an entertaining birthday party.
It’s fun when people don’t care about what others think of them and are just out to have a good time.
From Pity to Praise 