Start Your Day Off Right

Some days it seems like the moment our feet hit the floor and we get out of bed, things go wrong. The day doesn’t get off on the right foot and everything dominoes from that point on into chaos, stress, anger, and many other emotions.

It doesn’t have to be that way.
 
I have found that my days start off so much better when I give my day to the Lord. God doesn’t want to only be consulted when my day goes wrong… He wants to be IN CHARGE of my day! The funny thing is, is that when I can give Him my day, I am actually more organized, and feel more in control of what goes on; whether it’s last-minute things with my girls or plans that get changed or delayed. I am calmer and in a frame of mind that is more in-line with the kind of person I want to be.
 
All it takes is an intentional few minutes. You don’t have to set aside your whole morning agenda. For God understands that our lives are full. He just wants to be with us in the fullness of them!   Give your day to the Lord by praying to Him as you lay in bed waking up, as you get ready in the bathroom, or even as you eat breakfast.  Recite a Bible verse that praises the Lord for His goodness and his Sovereignty, or a verse that talks about submitting your pride to Him and allowing Him to guide your steps.  Listen to a Christian speaker as you get dressed and ready or put on some Christian music that gets you praising God.
 
All of these things can be done while you prepare for your day. All of them help take our thoughts and place them where they need to be – on the Lord, instead of on other problems or issues. And they help us filter where our priorities and energies need to go instead of scrambling so hard to meet expectations or demands that could be dropped because they simply clog up our lives.
 
I know when I start my day off right in any or all of these ways, I feel so humbled to have God on my side helping me handle whatever comes my way. If you want to change the atmosphere of your morning, and your whole day – simply start your day off right by going to the Lord and giving it to Him first.
 
 
 
~ Dionna Sanchez likes to start her mornings by listening to Christian ministry on television.  She shares her heart with you through her blog at: http://emphasisonmoms.blogspot.com

What Would Happen #2

Continuing from April 26 post…

“What would happen” is we would immediately be in a mess.

First of all, we wouldn’t know what we were doing. Second, we wouldn’t know how to talk with others in light of faith, hope, and love. Third, we wouldn’t have the time.  Fourth,  we wouldn’t get along. Our histories would conflict. Our dreams wouldn’t be the same. Our ways of engagement would ruffle each other’s feathers. We would have to pray, confess, repent, forgive, and fight on with people as diverse as Matthew – who was a tax gatherer and a lackey of the state – and Simon – a zealot, a terrorist committed to the destruction of the government.

Would such a “mess” be a bad thing?

Consider this quote by Frank Viola from Reimagining Church:

“I have a dream that countless churches will be transformed from high-power business organizations into spiritual families – authentic Christ-centered communities – where the members know one another intimately, love one another unconditionally, bleed for one another deeply, and rejoice with one another unfailingly.”

Shared by Kristine.

The Choices We Make

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the choices we make in life. On any given day, we make any number of choices. Many are inconsequential – Cheerios or toast for breakfast, the red or black shoes, etc. Then, there are the decisions that change the course of one’s whole life – who to date, what college to go to, whether to get married or enter religious life or stay single, what job to take, where to live, and so on.

Steve and Isaac Yoder write a father and son column for “The Wall Street Journal Sunday.” The column for April 26, 2009 focused on Isaac’s need to make a decision on which college to attend. Both father and son suffer from difficulty making decisions. In this particular column, they were discussing an article by Professor Barry Schwartz on “The Paradox of Choice.” The point of Prof. Schwartz’s article is to make a decision based on your “core requirements” rather than searching for the “elusive best.” Those who are satisfied with less end up happier in the long run.

We make the best decisions we can at the time based on the information we have at the moment. If we are wise, we pray about them. Even with such solid decision making, however, there often comes a time in life when we look back and wonder “Did I do the right thing?” Did I actually follow God’s plan or did I totally screw it up and go on my own path? What would life have been like if I chose what was behind Door A instead of Door B? I was discussing this with the women’s Bible study I attend. One of my friends very wisely remarked, “Maybe you were meant to screw up the plan.”

It is true. Regret serves no real purpose. I have a good life and I am very thankful for it. Spending time wondering what might have been is time wasted. Life might have been better or worse. The only guarantee is that it would have been different. God is also bigger than any decision I have made or may make. I am firm believer that God can bring good out of anything. If we screw up the plan, God comes up with another one for us. God is forgiving and good. He knew when He gave us free will that sometimes we would make decisions other than the ones He would have made for us. I don’t think that means that God stops using us to achieve His purposes. It might take longer. We might have to get there by a more convoluted route, but if we try to live a God-centered life, God will somehow help us to achieve the life we were meant to live. I take great comfort in that.

- Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur
http://spiritualwomanthoughts.blogspot.com

What Would Happen…

Ever seen this?

“People sit in church on Sunday morning. If they are really committed, they go to a Bible study or a small growth group. And if they are amazingly disciplined and committed, they will take on another ministry in the church like teaching Sunday school or helping out in a youth group. All these activities are wonderful. But what would happen if we also left the church as apostolic bands and entered the agora to join a fly-fishing club and visit a nursing home? What if we hung out in coffee shops and got involved in Big Brothers?” (Dan Allendar, The Healing Path, p. 246)

In describing what he calls the “institutional church,” Frank Viola puts it this way in Reimagining Church:

These churches are constructed on programs and rituals rather than relationships. They are highly structured, typically building-centered organizations regulated by set-apart professionals (“ministers” and “clergy”) who are aided by volunteers (laity). They require staff, buildings, salaries, and administration. In the institutional church congregants watch a religious performance once or twice a week led by principally one person (the pastor or minister), and then retreat home to their individual lives.”

Is this the kind of church we see modeled in the New Testament? If not, what happened? Why?

Asked by Kristine.

Accept Where We Are

 I was listening to an online speaker this morning. He was talking about health and our bodies and how so many of us deal with one malady or another – but we fail to go before the Lord and accept the gift of the body He has given us! He mentioned that many of us are satisfied with what we’ve got, until we see what someone else has. Whether that is better health, a better marriage or whatever – when we take our eyes off the path that God has us on – that is when we grow dissatisfied.

This is so true in so many areas of our lives. We all go through things in life. No one gets out of this world without enduring something or another. For everyone, that challenge could be different. For some of us, it is health issues – whether cancer, constant allergies, battles with depression, kidney stones, eye problems, weight issues, arthritis, heart problems, diabetes, or recurring infections. For others, it could be dealing with critical family members, a broken family due to divorce, sexual addictions, anger, a low self esteem, strong willed children, prodigal children, financial problems, or any number of addictions, persecutions, emotional issues, or spiritual battles.

The constant struggle of dealing with whatever issue we have been dealt – can be draining and wearing. We can “rail” against God and ask Him, ‘Why me?”

We’ve all done it. We’ve all felt it. We could also just accept it.

Accepting the hurtful, HARD stuff in our lives is not an easy thing to do. If we accept it, we are aknowledging that whatever we are dealing with may always be in our lives. And most of us just don’t like that option – do we?

But we could look at the flip side of accepting what life has dealt us. Maybe – just maybe – God will use it to chisel the bad stuff out of us and mold and shape us to be more like Him. Maybe what we go through will be used to bring others to His kingdom.

If we can ask God to help us adjust our attitudes to what we are experiencing, I think we will find our outlook (and possibly our situation, as a result) will improve.

There are no mistakes. Do you believe that? That what happens in your life is not by happenstance? God allows certain things to happen in our lives for a reason – just as Satan hits us in our lives in certain areas for a reason. It’s time we start accepting where we are at so that we can move forward. It’s time that we get on our knees before God, being honest with him about the pain this certain area or struggle has brought to our heart and life… so that we can then, humbly ask Him to give us the strength and courage to deal with it in a way that will bring glory to Him.

There are so many hurting people out there. People are struggling with so many different things and are remaining victims of those hurdles in their lives. But we can praise God knowing that He is sovereign and all -knowing and that He WILL bring all things together for good if we serve Him and remain faithful to Him. If our life remains a life filled with issues, and struggles – so be it! Our attitude and acceptance of it, can dramatically transform how we feel about our obstacle or battle, as we go through it. Thus, possibly easing the weight or burden of it on our lives.

God loves you and I. He hears our cries and sees our tears. Yet He also seeks our trust. Let’s give it to Him as we seek His guidance to help us learn to accept what we’ve been given, and where we are. Let’s lean on Him for our courage and strength as we strive to move beyond it – never letting it overcome who we are meant to be in Him.

 

Dionna Sanchez is a freelance writer, blogger, and Founder of Emphasis On Moms. Visit her profile page at http://dionnasanchez.blogspot.com

Kindness Returned

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Luke 6:38

On Sunday mornings I go to Wal-Mart and pick up donuts for church. I love Krispy Kreme’s as much as the next guy, but honestly, at four dollars a dozen, you can’t beat Wal-Mart for glazed donuts. I always go through the self-serve aisle, it’s quicker than waiting in line for a cashier. But this past Sunday, it wasn’t quicker.

I pulled my cart up to the nearest empty lane and was about to start scanning my donuts, when I realized the screen didn’t look like it usually does. It’s a touch tone screen, so I touched it. It made a funny noise and I was about to turn away, when money started shooting out of the bottom slot. I thought I was in Vegas for a minute.

Twenty dollars came out, and no one around to claim it. Odd?, I thought. I picked up the money and looked for someone to give it to. Still no one came to claim it.

The screen was back to normal, so I started scanning my boxes. About that time, a cashier came by and told me to stop using that machine, that it was broken. I handed her the twenty dollars that had just came out of it and she turned and walked away.

After quite a bit of too-do, I paid for my donuts and out the door I went. I was thinking that I hadn’t even gotten a thank you for my honestly, but since I hadn’t done it for recognition, it had just been the right thing to do, I didn’t think anything more of it.

Sunday night, on my way home from my ladies group, I stopped at Publix for some groceries. It had been a long day and I was tired. I loaded the groceries into my car and headed home. I’d been home about five minutes when the phone rang. It was Publix, I had left my purse in my shopping cart and a good Samaritan had returned it to Customer Service, untouched.

Kindness given … kindness returned

Father thank you for your promises, it is so encouraging to apply them into my life and see them come into fulfillment.

I love you Jesus!
In your name I pray,
Amen

God Bless You!

Love,
Joyce

The Choices You Make Today …
Will Affect Your Tomorrow!
http://www.alifedecision.org

“Covering Your Back”

Hebrews 3:12-13; 10:23-25 stresses the importance of community.  But let’s not confuse “community” with lock-step-it is, where everyone is required to look, act, talk, think, and walk like identical cardboard cut-outs or risk ostracism. That’s not “community,” that’s conformity, and nothing can stifle a soul faster!

“We walk the healing path alone and lonely at times” says Dan Allender. “Moments specifically designed for each of us take us through the valley and into the desert, where God woos us with his strange, wild love. But the majority of our journey is meant to be traveled with a few others.”

“Community” includes the concepts of belonging, commonality, common (but not necessarily “identical”) possession, participation, priorities. Allender fleshes out the concept:

“We are indebted to one another. You cover my back. I watch yours. I must try to protect you from sin’s deceitfulness and the resulting proclivity to harden your heart against God’s tender call. We all stand in drying cement. If we don’t keep moving on the journey we will become bound and enslaved to something or someone other than God.”

Who’s “covering your back?”

Shared by Kristine.

Too Casual with God

I have come to the conclusion lately, that most of us are too casual with God. I know that I have felt convicted about how casual I have been with my Lord. It can become too common place to pray to Him with a “please that” and a “Lord I ask you for this” or just a “thank you for doing that.” I think we have forgotten who we are dealing with!

Jesus is God. GOD. He is GREATLY to be praised and worthy of our fear. He is powerful and sovereign.

Our generation has almost become complacent about revering our Lord. We say that Jesus is the God of our life – but then we whine about this or that – failing to submit each and every second of our day to Him. Failing to realize that what God gives in our lives – He has every right to take away.

Have you ever seen someone worship God? Truly worship Him? Usually they either have their hands thrust in the air, they are on their knees, or they might have their eyes closed as they soak in the words of a song or chorus. They humble themselves because they have endured trials and challenges. They have felt great pain and KNOW and FEEL the awesomeness, the greatness, the power of our Almighty Lord.

I know that God wants me to come to Him like I would a friend. And I can talk to Him and converse to Him throughout my day. I think God enjoys it when we do that. But I also have come to realize that we minimilize His royalty and the fact that He is ruler of ALL. We would treat a celebrity in much more reverence than we treat our Lord sometimes! We think too highly of ourselves and believe too little of our Lord to truly allow ourselves to treat Him with all of the accolades He deserves. We say “God this” and “God that” – with no real thought to it. We don’t bow down our daily lives to Him.

God deserves our worship. He deserves our esteem, honor, and glory. I pray that I, personally, can begin to act in mind, actions, and spirit – more serious about the way I praise, submit, talk about, repent, and serve my Lord.

One day I am going to be accountable for my heart, thoughts, and actions before Him. And I don’t want to fall on my face ashamed because I minimized who He is.

 

~ Dionna Sanchez is Founder  of the Emphasis On Moms Ministry at http://www.EmphasisOnMoms.com

Children as Spiritual Directors

Over five years ago, I nervously went to an open house at a local center for spiritual direction with my two and a half year old in tow (mercifully, I was able to leave the 10 month old at home!). I knew little about spiritual direction at that point other than what I read in books. Unfortunately, spiritual direction isn’t one of those things that can be explained easily in writing – it truly needs to be experienced to be fully appreciated. Still, I knew that I was at a point in my life where I needed help. All the people I met at that open house were very kind and I soon started meeting with a very helpful spiritual director and have continued that practice on a regular basis. It has been a great blessing to my life. When I went to that open house, however, I can remember someone saying to me, “You have children! You already have spiritual directors!”

At the time, I couldn’t appreciate the wisdom of that statement. After all, my children were still very small. I loved them so much, but mostly, they left me exhausted. My struggle with adjusting to motherhood was one of the primary reasons I was seeking a spiritual director. I was at a loss as to what God wanted from me. Thankfully, my spiritual director was able to help me sort it all out. In the intervening years, however, I have come to appreciate all the ways my children are helping to direct my spiritual journey.

As any mother will tell you, children have a way of bringing out all your weaknesses. Somehow, they just know how to push all the wrong buttons. Reminded of one’s failings on a daily basis, there can be really no question of what one needs to work on. Thankfully, children also give their mothers plenty of opportunities to work on those weaknesses. Every day is a new challenge!

Children can also be a mirror sharper in focus than any other. It is one thing to see your faults in yourself. It is a whole different perspective to see your faults in your children. Either through genetics or upbringing, or a combination thereof, our children often suffer from the same issues we do. In helping them to work through their challenges, God also helps us to work through our own.

Parenting also helps us to recover from our own childhood and make peace with our own family of origin. I haven’t met a person yet who escaped from childhood unscathed. Growing up is hard and painful. We tend to blame our parents for much of that pain, sometimes with good reason, sometimes just because they are easy targets. Parenting one’s own children provides a whole new perspective on those relationships. At least in my case, I know that realizing how hard parenting is helped me to forgive my parents for all the mistakes that I had felt they made. There is something incredibly humbling about knowing that, even though I get up every day and try to do my best, my children will feel that I made huge errors in their upbringing. It also encourages me to beg for God’s help. If there was ever a time when I needed God, this is it. God made my children. He is only one with the instruction manual.

Children do help determine the course of our spiritual development in ways that I couldn’t even have imagined years ago. I’m sure as my children continue to grow into adulthood, God has many more lessons to teach me through them, even as I am helping them navigate their own paths. We will continue to travel on our spiritual journeys together.

Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

http://spiritualwomanthoughts.blogspot.com

Don’t you love it when common folk send critics and cynics speechless?  Kinda reminds me of a certain Jewish carpenter and a bunch of fishermen.  (Embedding is disabled upon request from the source.  To view, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY)

Shared by Kristine.

Author, blogger, humorist, homeschooler, professional mom and chief wrangler at the ‘ole testosterone ranch.