Moving forward to the unknown isn’t always easy,especially when we have to let go of certain people, things, or memories in our lives that become a part of who we are.
When God separates us, we may want to go back to the life we once had, even though we know it’s no longer possible. So, we are left with no other choice but to move forward.
Sometimes I wish I could go back and change the choices I made in my younger years. No matter how painful my past is I can’t change what it is. But, it’s the past that made me who I am today.
Sometimes we need to let go of the past and accept the things God has prepared for us. God has a habit of putting us on a journey where we can experience who He really is, and guide us down a path that provides us with something better.
The truth is we need to let go of not just the bad things, but also some good things so He can set us up for something better.
I like to think of it was clearing space in our lives that distracts us, so we have space for new and greater things God has planned for us. Even though it may be tough to let some things go, there are good things on the horizon.
Letting go is always challenging. We may not know God’s plans but knowing they will be good should help us to.
God always wants better things for us than we can imagine for ourselves. He wants to realign us for His purposes.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is when God wants me to let go of the good things in my life. It hurts, but He always has something better in mind.
We can’t receive the best if we keep holding on to what we think is better.
What are your favorite physical activities or exercises?
Swimming is a low impact exercise that helps reduce stress o our joints and bones, which makes it a goodexercise for people with arthritis or injuries. It improves cardiovascular health by helping the heart muscle making it work harder to pump throughout your body.
Swimming helps improve flexibility by twisting, , pulling and stretching ,.
Swimming is my go to exercise. After doing it, I feel rejuvenated
Have you ever wondered why your life doesn’t always reflect God’s promises?
There are over 3000 thousand promises in the Bible for those who follow God. A few well-known ones are:
“I will not leave you or forsake you” -Joshua 1:5
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” -James 4:8
“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” -Psalm 37:4
A less-known one is:
“For however many are the promises of God, in Him is the Yes. Therefore also through Him is the Amen, to the glory of God through us.
So, how do we activate God’s promises in our lives? It is “sort of” a secret formula that is involved. There are a few simple keys:
Maintain A Soft Heart
Hebrews 3, reminds us about the children of Israel after God (with Moses’ help) brought them out of Egypt. The writer explains how their hearts were hard and rebellious, they tested God because their hearts always wandered from Him, and they didn’t know His ways (Hebrews 3:7-11).
These were the people of God. But because of their choices and hearts, God said, “They shall not enter My rest (Hebrews 3:11). This meant that they would never enter the Promised Land.
The Promised Land was a huge promise that God gave the Israelites -a land of their own -an inheritance. Because they were God’s special, chosen people. But they forfeited this promise for 40 years, because of their hardened hearts.
It’s important to remember that even Jesus’s disciples dealt with hard hearts. Mark 6:52 says, “For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.
When we have hard hearts we cannot understand God’s ways because it blinds us to what God is doing and saying.
Hebrews 3:7-8 urges us, “…Today if you will hear His voice, and don’t harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, like as in the days of the trial in the wilderness.
We too must keep a soft heart that is willing and open to hearing God’s voice if we want to have the promises of God.
2. Reject Unbelief
Hebrews 3:12-13 tells us to “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. Lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”
Sin deceives us so that truth seems like a lie, and lies seem like the truth.
We shouldn’t allow sin to derail us. Unbelief and doubt are set on leading us to a hardened heart. That is what happened to the Israelites, even though they saw God’s mighty hand in miracles and wonders, they still allowed their hearts to doubt God and to grow “calloused” toward Him and His ways.
If we are living in unbelief, we cannot expect to see the promises of God in our lives. God’s promises are available to all who believe in Him, not doubters.
Hebrews 3:18-19 says, “To whom did he swear that they wouldn’t enter into His rest, but to those who were disobedient ? We see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief.”
Believing and obeying God are keys to unlocking His promises. God rewards Faith, not unbelief.
3.Combine God’s Promises With Faith
Hebrews 4:2 explains about the people of Israel, “For indeed we have had good news preached to us, even as they also did,, but the Word they heard didn’t profit them, because it wasn’t mixed with faith by those who heard.”
The children of God heard His Word and promises, but they didn’t receive anything from God because they didn’t combine what they heard with faith. They never obtained what God promised them because they walked in unbelief instead of faith.
Faith is believing that you already have what you’re hoping for. It’s pulling God’s promises from the Spirit realm into the physical realm.
Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
It’s as if God puts His promises out there for anyone who will receive them.
For those who believe in faith that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He said He would do -no matter what the circumstances around them look like, they believe and obey anyway.
Unbelief and hardness of heart often go hand in hand.
We must be careful not to allow our hearts to harden or let unbelief creep in. God’s pro are available to us, if we will just believe in faith, obey and keep our hearts soft toward Him.
What is something others do that sparks your admiration?
Authentic kindness towards people always brings a smile to my face. There is so much craziness in the world it’s nice to see someone that shows they care about others. Whether it’s at the grocery store or on the street it shows there are still good people in the world.
People who have integrity and consistently uphold their good values and principles regardless on external circumstances.
I wasn’t able watch television when I was a child, But when I was an adult I watched cartoons and I would have to say that the Taz-mania devil was my favorite. It was popular in 1991.
For some people, feeling the Holy Spirit can be a physical sensation, as our bodies are designed to respond to God’s presence. When we are born again, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of us the physical signs of the Holy Spirit may feel like warmth and embrace such as feeling like you’re being hugged by God. Tingling and electricity is a sign of the Holy Spirit‘s presence. Have you ever had hair on the back on your arms or the back of your neck stand up? That can be assigned the Holy Spirit is near.
As well as I need for taking a deep cleansing breath that feels purifying. Sighing that feels like wordless prayers.
When the Holy Spirit is trying to tell me something I get overwhelmed with emotion. Sometimes we move to tears, but then feeling a subtle feeling of gratitude, peace, and love.
The Holy Spirit is associated with God‘s love and comfort. When you allow the Holy Spirit to change your heart you will start to feel God’s love more deeply.
The work of the Holy Spirit is to impart life, and implant hope, to get liberty, and to testify who Jesus is.
If you’re wondering what the Holy Spirit feels like, you must be open to sensing his presence in whatever way He manifests Himself. Pay attention to any sensations you feel in your body when you pray, worship, or meditate on scripture. You might just experience one of the signs I’ve mentioned above. In which you should respond with praise and Thanksgiving to God.
It’s important not to feel pressured when you pray or worship. Instead allow God to be in control and be patient as you wait for the Holy Spirit to work, just because you don’t feel His presence doesn’t mean He isn’t there.
In John 16:7 Jesus said before He departed to heaven,
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for it I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you, but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”
Scripture teaches us, that those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing (Psalm 34:10). His children who seek Him with all their hearts, while trusting in His promise of being present in their lives.
“Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come to him and eat with him, and he with Me” – Revelation 3:20.
Jesus promises those who respond to the invitation to eternal life, and the reward of ruling with Him in heaven.
I like to this of this verse as if Jesus is standing outside every unbelievers house asking to come in.
He has given us free will. We have free will to choose to be in heaven with him.
Now that I’ve gotten older, I sure can definitely find ways to live a less sedentary lifestyle.
I find myself sitting more than moving these days. Knowing I need to move more by walking, taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
But saying these things and acting on them are two different things. If they are going to work I need to change my habits. It’s so easy to become lazy.
Sitting for long periods of time increases the risk of heart and circulatory diseases.
Walking in disobedience is choosing self-will over God’s will. The Bible tells us that God expects obedience and that disobedience can have serious consequences.
Disobedience can lead to suffering and catastrophic results, we see this with the Israelites. They experienced the consequences of their disobedience for 40 years, with an average if 130 people dying each day. When they left Egypt to enter the “promised land.”
Our disobedience can even hurt those who are closest to us. A drug addict who chooses to not obey God, and continues down a path of self-destruction, not only hurts themselves but causes destruction in their families as well. I worked at a place for recovering addicts for a few years. Every Friday we would have a support group. Many Fridays the families of addicts would come to the group for support. It was truly heartbreaking to see the results of their son or daughter had destroyed them. I only worked for about two years because it was very stressful work.
Their are Bible references that tell us about obedience and disobedience including:
God promises a blessing to those who obey His commands and a curse to those who disobey – Deuteronomy 11:26-28.
Those who are obedient will eat the best from the land -Isaiah 1:19
God asks, “Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say” -Luke 6:46
“But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all of My commands, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul hates My judgments so that you do not perform My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you. I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall see your seed in gains, for your enemies shall eat it” -Leviticus 6:14-16
To overcome disobedience we need a new heart and a new nature, this is why when we accept God, He gives us a renewed spirit and we become a new creation.
When we disobey God, He promises trouble for our consequences. God uses some pretty harsh words to tell us there will be consequences to our disobeying. God is pretty clear that:
“We are free to choose, but we are not free from the consequences of our choice.”
What positive events have taken place in your life over the past year?
Both positive and negative events are beneficial for our lives. Positive events give us hope, and negative events help us grow and learn.
As human beings we tend to focus on negative events rather than positive ones, meaning negative experiences often have a stronger impact on our emotions and memory.
We have to change of perspective on negative events, and see them as growing and learning experiences, which can lead to positive outcomes.
Over the last year, my relationship with family has grown stronger. I let my beliefs be known more, and help shape lives rather than feel like I’m invading on a person’s privacy. If they tell me, and another family member tells me of a struggle they’re having. I tell them I can help with that, and instead of them thinking I’m in their business, they accept the help. With has led to positive outcomes -at least so far.
The positive is I’m getting closer to family, and it may give me a chance to tell them about Jesus who will transform their lives. if the Holy Spirit leads me to. If you know me at all, it’s not about pushing my beliefs on anyone, but it’s about loving them first, and then listening and obeying what the Holy Spirit leads you to say.
Our emotional health is an important aspect of our overall well-being, yet it can be challenging to maintain in today’s fast-paced and stressful world. It’s easy to struggle with anxiousness, feeling down, and other emotions that impact our daily lives.
I have struggled with emotional health all my life, mainly due to my experiences as a child and young adulthood. Because of this, my parasympathetic nervous system didn’t develop correctly. I tend to cry when I’m happy, sad, or angry and sometimes for no apparent reason at all. But, over the years I’ve learned to cope pretty well.
I think we can all agree that everyone deals with negative thoughts and feelings at times.
I’ve become better equipped to deal with my feelings when I decided to take a biblical perspective on my emotional health. It’s important to learn to process your emotions in a healthy way.
By implementing a few practices I’ve found ways to deal with my emotions during most circumstances.
These practices include:
Seeking God’s Wisdom in every circumstance. The Bible is a valuable resource for understanding God’s perspective on our emotions and how to handle them.
For example, Proverbs 12:25 says,
“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.”
Worrying and anxiety can weigh us down, but the words of wisdom found in scripture can bring us joy and peace. I find that Psalm 23 and Isaiah 42 help me find reassurance in difficult times.
Practicing Gratitude. Being grateful for the blessings in our lives can help shift our focus away from negative emotions and toward positive ones.
Expressing gratitude to God for the good things in our lives can help us develop a deeper sense of contentment.
Connecting with others. Having strong relationships with a few friends and family members can provide support and encouragement during hard times.
Being part of something, whether it be a church or a small group can help you feel not so alone. I belong to a small prayer meeting once a week, which I know I can share anything with, and they will support me and do whatever is necessary to help me, if need be.
Hebrews 10:24-25 encourages us to consider how to stir up one another to love and do good works, and no to neglect to meet with one another. To encourage one another always.
Take care of your physical health. Our physical health greatly impacts our emotional well-being.
Eating healthy, and getting enough sleep along with exercising regularly helps to not only keep our bodies in good shape but our minds as well.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 reminds us that “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within us. We are not our own but were bought with a price. And we should glorify God in our bodies.
The most important practice is:
Trusting in God’s plan. Trusting in God’s plan for our lives and understanding that He is in control can help ease anxiety and bring peace to our hearts.
Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and Ge will make straight your paths.”
Whether I cry when I’m happy, sad, or angry I know everything will turn out fine, even when I don’t understand why, because God is in control and has a plan.
Emotional health is not just about feeling good all the time, but about being able to process and handle our emotions in a healthy way.
Do you ever feel like you’ve completely blown it with God? As if he’s thinking I’ve really had it. I’ve given you enough chances. I’m done with you.
I joke all the time that I am on my third guardian angel, because they have pulled their hair out and bitten their nails down to nothing, keeping me safe from some of the things I’ve done.
But the truth of the matter is we serve a God of second chances, because He knew we’d never get it right the first time and maybe not the third or fourth time.
A second cancer means that He doesn’t give us just one shot at impressing Him or earning His love or getting it right.
I believe God gave American a second chance on November 5, 2024. A second chance a reprieve for us to have courage and to be bold and work for God. Many people prayed for America to be forgiven for being lazy and letting God be taken out of American institutions without a fight. Which have caused a serious lack of morals and the value system that we once held so dear.
There are reasons God gives us second chances and we should not take advantage of it.
I believe He has given us a second chance because Scripture attests to it.
Psalm 103:10-13 tells us,
“He had not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our guilty deeds. For as high as the heavens are above the earth. So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our wrongdoings from us” – NASB
If God were to deal with us, according to our sins, He would be punishing us every time we committed an offense against Him.  the net worth in this passage comparing God’s mercy and compassion to that of an earthly father who loves his children.
“Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him” -Psalm 103:13
Scripture also tells us of God’s mercy and second chance He gave King David, who knew better than to commit adultery and then murder her husband and then covet up his sin. When David wrote a song of confession God gave him a second chance. David wrote:
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love, according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin…”
Jesus taught us that we serve a God of second chances.
People tend to live by a “three strikes you’re out” motto when it comes to others offenses toward them. But Jesus was aware of our tendency to blow people off, or cut them off all together if they offend them more than once or twice.
My father always told me to live by the motto “fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.” In other words don’t give anyone three chances to fool you.
Peter asked Jesus in Matthew 18:21-22, how many times he should forgive the same person who offended him. Peter probably thought he as extra generous when h asked Jesus if he should forgive “up to seven times.” But Jesus, the God of second chances, told Peter “not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Jesus was teaching we must forgive our offender an unlimited amount of times, because that’s the way our Heavenly Father has forgiven us.
Jesus taught that our forgiveness for others should never run out, because that’s the way He forgives. He is a God with unlimited amounts of grace, mercy, and forgiveness. And that definitely means He’s the God of a second chance.
God had given us a second chance and we should take every opportunity to work to please Him everyday. And teach people what we have learned about good morals and values and keeps us in faith. This reprieve we have been given isn’t a time to get back into our lazy whimsical ways, but to help others see the “Joy of the Lord.”
I have a flow of deer in my yard. My neighbor has a small orchard and does not pick all the fruit from the trees. So they come here to eat.
Deer absolutely love pumpkin. So, after Halloween, I can usually pick up pumpkins at my grocery store on clearance, then buy a few for the deer.
My husband took a quick shot of one last fall from a short distance. The deer around here aren’t to skittish, because they know they wont be harmed, mind you this picture was taken from a cheap cell phone, so it’s not a quality picture. But it was a close up. And he is eating pumpkin.
From Pity to Praise 