The God Of Second Chances

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.”

He is after all the God of second chances.

Seeing Wildlife

Do you ever see wild animals?

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.

Young White Tale

Favorite Place I Have Visited

Do you have a favorite place you have visited? Where is it?

The favorite place I’ve visited is Texas. San Antonio. I spent 10 days there. And loved everything about it. The weather, the people, the food was amazing. Out of everything I enjoyed the Riverwalk.

Finding Your Inner Strength

Every one of us has inner strength, far beyond what we are aware of. The extent to which your inner strength is buried affects your access to it, but with the right effort, you can discover these strengths hidden inside. Childhood traumas and life experiences may have concealed your inner strengths which may the cause for problems you have with self-confidence in accessing these strengths, but they are and always remain something that is a birthright. They wait right beneath the surface, beckoning to be released. Finding these inner strengths is not very easy and there are no magic pills. It takes painstaking work. And with diligence and persistence, it is possible to uncover them. This begins with the attitude and commitment that you are going to invest in finding your inner strengths and using the technique to do the work.

Embrace Challenges

The Olives on an olive tree do not produce oil until it is pressed. Just as don’t see the best person until we meet challenges in our life, meaning that without some pressure we will not access our strength. Pressure builds a drive to overcome the obstacle, the need to find a way only happens when we are pressed to find it. People will always find solutions that they never would have thought of had they not been under pressure. The pressure in our lives dislodges and forces the hidden strengths to the surface,

This of a dam. As the dam restrains a flow of water, the water builds up pressure, and continues growing in strength, until, the point that the water can burst through the dam with enormous intensity – power that would never have been tapped were there no resistance from the dam. The deeper the resistance, the more power is built up. This principle holds true in our personal lives.

Baby Steps

Over time, it gets harder to express repressed inner strength. Eventually you need to begin using this like a tool, like a muscle that felt like it was wasting away. Slowing warming it up and exercising it gently you can get it ready to use again.

Embracing challenges and putting ourselves in situations where we have to find solutions is necessary to build inner strength. But, we need to do it in a way that is not overwhelming -challenging ourselves but not demoralizing us. The key is to not force anything, and not “bite off more than we can chew,” which sets us up for failure. Don’t take on more work or a bigger task than you can do. The key is to score small victories, they build up your strength and confidence. Find small, scenarios where you can exercise your inner strengths face small obstacles. Aiming for perfection is not realistic, but aiming for hope and attainable goals are more important during this time.

Spend Time With Strong People

Success is contagious. Excellence brings out excellence, and mediocrity brings out mediocrity. Being around people who access and express their inner strengths can help you build and express your inner strengths, while being around fearful people only builds fear. It is okay if you feel a little bit inferior to them because healthy envy motivates and increases wisdom.

Stand For Something

With success bringing on success, it also means excellence brings out excellence, and mediocrity brings out mediocrity. We should ask ourselves: Is there anything so important to you that it is not optional? What is your Inner strength for? What do you stand for? Will we look for something permanent rather than things that are of a physical nature such as money, pleasure, or prestige? It will things like helping others, sharing wisdom, and pursuing spirituality which are eternal nature. We should direct our inner strength toward something beyond and greater than ourselves.

Conquering Yourself

The more I get to know myself the more I realize I am my own enemy. I often wonder if this is a paradox that’s holding back.

We are so used to living in our comfort zone that being imprisoned feels safer. Fear, routine, procrastination, busyness, comparing ourselves to others, and self-doubt. Why do we keep what we love behind bars?

There’s a quote by Denis Whitley I have stuck on my refrigerator. “It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.”

Our lives are boundless, there are so many possibilities. However, we must first conquer what is holding us back -our minds.

I often create my own suffering, by the perceptions of myself.

Our pursuit of happiness can quickly turn into obsession. The more we chase it the less we will enjoy it. We expect happiness to happen to us, rather than develop an appreciation for it.

Consciously or not, we all desire fear and happiness at the same time.

Happiness is a byproduct, not a goal. Enjoying something is a path towards loving it in the long run.

How would reactors on us, no one on earth will let you out of your perceived misery. We have to stop waiting for someone to fix our problems, when it’s up to us.

Other people can influence how we live, only if we let them. Being in charge of our lives is our responsibility.

All the decisions we make are based on either of love or fear.

 It seems like we’re all fighting what we can’t manage or doesn’t go our way which only gets us stuck in a losing battle.

When we can adapt our reality, it doesn’t mean that we are giving up. It means we stop using fighting battles and focus our energy on what really matters.

Loa Tzo said “water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome what is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong.”

We need to learn to be fluid and as adaptive as water.

I think we all overthink when we really need to move into action. Overthinking paralyzes us, and there is no worse outcome. Not all of us have answers to what is right. We all learn as we go. The more we do something the better we become at it. But mastery requires practice. Doing is how we get there.

When you come round to taste our gut. It is good to have a bright, analytical brain, but at the end of the day our stomach is the smartest organ in our body.

When we feed our thoughts we live through them. thinking is natural, but looking at life through our thoughts will eat us alive. We need to learn with our thoughts. Our thoughts distort our perspectives.

We create our thoughts, and our thoughts create our intentions, and our intentions create our reality.

Living in a way you want to be remembered. That’s how we stop being afraid of dying. When we let our passion, not our fears drive us.

We need to stop looking outside if we don’t expect others to tell us how to achieve our dreams. The answer is in us. Change comes from within.

We cannot change until we choose to change.

What we do in our mind is what holding us back. Our dreams depend on us. Only we can set ourselves free.

Things I’m Good At

Share five things you’re good at.

I don’t like to brag about myself it’s not one of my strong points. Too much bragging can lead to pride. And God hates a prideful person. Everything good in our lives comes from God.

As an introvert, there are a few things that come to mind that I’ve come to realize. I am a good listener, and a good friend because I keep secrets. I like learning new things because my mind is constantly thinking. I learn new things easily. I seem to have a creative streak running through me. I enjoy reading. But I think that goes along with wanting to learn new things constantly.

I am a person who stays more focused on my inner experiences rather than my external ones. I am very self-aware and self-reliant.

The Company We Keep

“Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character” -1 Corinthians 15:33

We should consider the company we keep, and the influence of out character. Human nature reflects the behavior of those we spend the most time with.

In order to keep every thought captive we must guard our hearts and keep God’s truth at the center of our souls. We must stay obedient to God.

Psalm 1:1-3 gives us some advice,

“Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, not stand on the path of sinners, not sit in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the Lord’s law. On his Torah (Bible) he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that produces its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does will prosper” (Messianic).

If we seek to be influenced instead of being influenced we can work to please God and not people. If you look closely God has been showing up in the world in massive ways. Some people are too blind to see it.

In the Greek language “corrupt” is translated as “to destroy.”

God’s children need to be strong and immovable (1 Corinthians 15:17 NLT).

When you are filled with the Holy Spirit of the Living God, you can be a blessing to others and be rejuvenated.

The world will wear us down, and we need friends, but true friends. Choose a friend for Quality not Quantity. Brothers and sisters that are rooted in Christ.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Jesus sent His disciples out in pairs. To help them stay cheerful, and to influence others.

Are you being an influencer for good, or are you being influenced by what corrupts your life?

One Thing I Would Change About Myself

What is one thing you would change about yourself?

I have developed some pretty good coping skills for everything that comes my way. But one thing I would change about myself is my low pain tolerance.

And at the same time, I have allergies to most pain medication. I’m allergic to the fillers that are in them. So, I am limited on what pain relievers I can take.

The combination of being allergic to pain medication and having a low pain tolerance level is a reason for disaster.

Night Owl

Are you more of a night or morning person?

I’ve always liked late hours of night better than daytime. I found it in interesting study on this years ago. It says that our preference whether a morning owl or an early bird is partly decided by genes.

I’ve always felt more alert at night. Expert that being a night owl can have a negative health effect and conflicts with your responsibilities. I’ve tried for years to have a regular sleep pattern, but it just doesn’t work for me. If I sleep more than four or five hours, I get a severe headache. Finally I thought, what’s the difference? Are you not have a regular job that I have be at a specific time. And I definitely have more energy at the sleep schedule. I’m on now.

Being Aware Of Psychological Warfare

Psychological warfare has been used for years. But it is becoming more noticeable today. We need to learn to recognize it and not be deceived.

Psychological warfare today, primarily manifest through online manipulation, using social media platforms to spread misinformation, propaganda, and decisive rhetoric, aim to influence, public opinion, undermine trust in situations and so discord among populations, often employed by governments and political actors to achieve strategic goals, with “bot farms that coordinate disinformation campaigns and targeted harassment.

This not only happened to social media. We can look at any news network and see it clearly.

Deliberately spreading false or misleading information, to manipulate public perception on issues like elections, political events, or social crises.

Usually automated accounts (bots) to amplify certain natives, create fake friends, and harass decent voices.

It uses exaggerating difference’s between groups to create division and prevents constructive dialogue. I believe that it’s why we are so divided today on our beliefs.

Taylor messages to specific demographics based on our interest and all mine behavior maximizes the propaganda they spread.

They use cyber harassment and doxing to harass people and public exposure of personal information to intimidate individuals or groups.

They create realistic, but fabricated videos to spread faults information and damage reputations of people.

This is an old age weapon that began in World War I. Search propaganda is generally intended to demoralize the enemy, to break his wheel to fight or resist, and sometimes to render him favorably disposed to one position.

Although this has been going on since since World War I, psychological warfare goes back to Cyrus the great who employed it against Babylon, Xeroxes against the Greeks and Philip II of Macedonia against Athens. 

Not many people are aware of this tactic, so it makes it easy to implement on people. AI generated images have become a new form of propaganda.

Propaganda or psychological warfare is the dissemination of information it uses facts, arguments, rumors, half-truths, or lies to influence public opinion. And it’s also also used through mass media.

Why Meat

What are your feelings about eating meat?

What are my feelings about meat? Humans have been hunting for meat for millions of years. God put meat on the earth for us to eat.

Sadly there are some who try and force their beliefs that meat is bad for you. But the truth of the matter is meat isn’t bad for you, it’s what humans add to the meat that is bad for you. It’s the added to the oil, emulsifiers, carbon monoxide, antibiotics, whey, and cellulose and probably a lot that they don’t tell us that’s in it. The only thing that’s bad for us is the things humans add to it.

When Is Enough Enough

There comes a time is everyone’s life when they have to say enough is enough.

A time to take a stand and refuse to let others hurt you. Throughout our lives people will discredit you, disrespect you, and treat you poorly for no apparent reason at all. Don’t consume yourself with trying to change them or win their approval (because you cannot).

Don’t make any space in your heart to hate them. You don’t have any control over how others think or feel about you, but you do have control over how you decide to internalize their opinions of you.

Leave them to their own opinions.

The right people will love you for who you are, and not for who they want you to be.

Let them walk away if they choose to do you. And do be hurt by their actions, It’s their understanding that is at fault -not yours.

Part of being a winner is knowing when enough is enough. Sometimes we have to give up the fight and walk away, not because we don’t care but because they don’t.

The art of knowing when enough is enough is knowing when to move on to something that’s more productive.