Love this illustration. So true. There's hope for every imperfect soul!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Oscar Wilde quote, feline version.
Love this illustration. So true. There's hope for every imperfect soul!
Still A Future
Don’t give up. Three little hard to live by, hard to hear words, aren’t they?
As we reflect on our lives, there seems to be a lot of disappointment surfacing. There seems to be a lot of condemnation, finger pointing, berating and beating ourselves up.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, huh?
There is still a future, no matter how trying or bleak things seem to be now- or even appear to be in the future.
Regardless, God is still here.
He’s still unchanging in His decision about you, His love for you, His plans for you…
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11
It’s not hopeless for you, whatever you’ve done, wherever you’ve been. As Oscar Wilde puts it…
Yep, still a future.
You don’t need to have mammoth faith in these words. Just a mustard seed size of faith is needed.
And you have that. Yes, you do. If you’re still breathing, you have that faith already. And yes, you do have a future!!!
Celebrate it NOW!!!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Head held high; you’ve come far…
Not as far as you’d like to be… in recovery?
In your goals?
In life?
It’s discouraging to see like as a stagnate situation. Sometimes, in life, we seem to be going nowhere. Sometimes, it seems like we only failing…
But we are changing. It seems to be the slowest process at times.
But think about how far you’ve come. Do you do that?
Do you ever stop to recognize just what you’ve survived and overcome, up to this point? “You may not be where you want to be,” as Pastor Joyce Meyer says, “but thank God, you’re not where you USED to be!”
Don’t look down on how far you seemingly have to go. Look, right now, at how far you’ve come. And be proud of yourself for still being here.
There are a lot of reasons why God has you still here. Celebrate yourself; celebrate those reasons. They are unfolding. It’s a process, however slow it may seem, but it is still ongoing. And you are going somewhere.
2011 was one year of a version of your glory; 2012 will be your next version of glory.
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1
In your goals?
In life?
It’s discouraging to see like as a stagnate situation. Sometimes, in life, we seem to be going nowhere. Sometimes, it seems like we only failing…
But we are changing. It seems to be the slowest process at times.
But think about how far you’ve come. Do you do that?
Do you ever stop to recognize just what you’ve survived and overcome, up to this point? “You may not be where you want to be,” as Pastor Joyce Meyer says, “but thank God, you’re not where you USED to be!”
Don’t look down on how far you seemingly have to go. Look, right now, at how far you’ve come. And be proud of yourself for still being here.
There are a lot of reasons why God has you still here. Celebrate yourself; celebrate those reasons. They are unfolding. It’s a process, however slow it may seem, but it is still ongoing. And you are going somewhere.
2011 was one year of a version of your glory; 2012 will be your next version of glory.
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Footwork of recovery
"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord."
Psalm 37:23
Take that next step- WITH God!!!
Riding the Roller Coaster
I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been on a rollercoaster.
Does a flume ride count? If yes, then, okay, I’ve employed two hands.
Anyway, rollercoasters are notoriously known as thrill rides. And they’ve often been compared to life itself.
Life: a thrill ride, filled with ups and downs. It’s just a tad scary when you think about it.
So, where do we find ourselves on this thrill ride called life right now? Are we up? Are we down” Are we screaming with glee or with terror?
Whatever’s going on, don’t think it’s strangely exclusive as to why you’re experiencing it…
“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:”
1 Peter 4:12
Wherever we find ourselves, please remember, the ride ain’t over yet.
There’s more.
God’s involved, so there’s always more to our story.
Even if we’d rather not be on the ride right now. So, let’s go to God on our ride, ask Him for help, patience and endurance through all of the highs and dips…
“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:”
Romans 5:3-4
We may even be upside down now, appearing to the outside world every bit of the messed up failure, hopeless and lost.
“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”
1 Corinthians 13:12
But, just like the turn of a rollercoaster ride, life can change!
God’s the Master of “suddenly” moments. In fact, the word, “suddenly” appears in Scripture in 35 verses, 23 Chapter and 16 Books!
If it happened that much already, in the Bible, surely, it can happen for us as well!
But we need to ride the ride to experience them.
Does a flume ride count? If yes, then, okay, I’ve employed two hands.
Anyway, rollercoasters are notoriously known as thrill rides. And they’ve often been compared to life itself.
Life: a thrill ride, filled with ups and downs. It’s just a tad scary when you think about it.
So, where do we find ourselves on this thrill ride called life right now? Are we up? Are we down” Are we screaming with glee or with terror?
Whatever’s going on, don’t think it’s strangely exclusive as to why you’re experiencing it…
“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:”
1 Peter 4:12
Wherever we find ourselves, please remember, the ride ain’t over yet.
There’s more.
God’s involved, so there’s always more to our story.
Even if we’d rather not be on the ride right now. So, let’s go to God on our ride, ask Him for help, patience and endurance through all of the highs and dips…
“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:”
Romans 5:3-4
We may even be upside down now, appearing to the outside world every bit of the messed up failure, hopeless and lost.
“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”
1 Corinthians 13:12
But, just like the turn of a rollercoaster ride, life can change!
God’s the Master of “suddenly” moments. In fact, the word, “suddenly” appears in Scripture in 35 verses, 23 Chapter and 16 Books!
If it happened that much already, in the Bible, surely, it can happen for us as well!
But we need to ride the ride to experience them.
How to save your heart
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
Proverbs 4:23
Monday, December 26, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Christmas: More Than Cute
I love this photo of our cat, Glory.
I couldn’t resist. I just had to place the Baby Jesus figure on her. She’s a cute little manger, isn’t she?
And that got me to thinking about cute and Christmas. Do we focus so much attention on the cute, at the expense of the true meaning? I’m not trying to be a Grinch, but with all of the holiday clutter, much of it, yes, cutesy, can we really “keep the main thing the main thing?”
What is the main thing, after all?
Well, first, it’s not a What; it’s a Who: Jesus.
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were much afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Luke 2:8-14
And yes, He first started out as a cute baby. But let’s not focus so much on the cuteness, that we forget the relevance of Who He is. Baby Jesus grew up; He’s our powerful, capable, loving Savior. Like He, Himself, is famous for saying…
“When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He said unto them, ‘But whom say you that I am?’”
Matthew 16:13-15
And the response to that question?
“And Simon Peter answered, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:16
Jesus is Whomever we need Him to be in our lives. Starting this Christmas season, let's not limit Him to just BAby Jesus!
I couldn’t resist. I just had to place the Baby Jesus figure on her. She’s a cute little manger, isn’t she?
And that got me to thinking about cute and Christmas. Do we focus so much attention on the cute, at the expense of the true meaning? I’m not trying to be a Grinch, but with all of the holiday clutter, much of it, yes, cutesy, can we really “keep the main thing the main thing?”
What is the main thing, after all?
Well, first, it’s not a What; it’s a Who: Jesus.
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were much afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Luke 2:8-14
And yes, He first started out as a cute baby. But let’s not focus so much on the cuteness, that we forget the relevance of Who He is. Baby Jesus grew up; He’s our powerful, capable, loving Savior. Like He, Himself, is famous for saying…
“When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He said unto them, ‘But whom say you that I am?’”
Matthew 16:13-15
And the response to that question?
“And Simon Peter answered, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:16
Jesus is Whomever we need Him to be in our lives. Starting this Christmas season, let's not limit Him to just BAby Jesus!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Darkness is cheap: Be the Light!
"Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it."
Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
This season, the classic literary character of scrooge reminds us all of how much God’s Light in necessary. We are to be the light, not the darkness.
Be that this holiday season and every single day of your life!
One light at a time, we can extinguish darkness!
“The darkness of the whole world cannot swallow the glowing of a candle.”
Robert Altinger
Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
This season, the classic literary character of scrooge reminds us all of how much God’s Light in necessary. We are to be the light, not the darkness.
Be that this holiday season and every single day of your life!
One light at a time, we can extinguish darkness!
“The darkness of the whole world cannot swallow the glowing of a candle.”
Robert Altinger
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