Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Befriend yourself; say hello
“A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
Proverbs 17:17
Be a friend. I’m sure you’ve heard that said before. Be your own best friend. Heard that as well?
So, are you on friendly terms with yourself? Or are you at war with yourself instead?
In this difficult life, it’s so challenging to treat ourselves decently, let alone, like a good friend. Even despite any selfish, self-centered behaviors, at the end of the day, honestly, we’re often closer to self-loathing than self-acceptance. We place conditions upon ourselves, believing only when a standard or attribute is met will we be worthwhile. We punish and berate ourselves for the pasty- or even present day poor choices, regrets and mistakes. We chose to view ourselves in only negative, value-less, ugly, disgusting terms.
Let’s admit in in one way or another, usually several, at a time, when we look at ourselves in the mirror, we despise the reflection.
We’re unfriendly. We’re hostile. We’re hateful.
It looks hopeless, doesn’t it?
But what if we’re only created for love, purpose, meaning, beauty and incredible significance? Would that change our friend status towards ourselves? What would we choose in our response to ourselves, even knowing God’s personal response to each of us?
“I have chosen you and have not cast you away.”
Isaiah 41:9
Love and acceptance are not passive words; they’re action words! They’re deliberate responses. To say we “love” ourselves is going to require some specific effort from us. It will mean change, prayer and yes, frustration. It will not be a one-time, perfect event. It will be a lifelong, imperfect, daily process. And yes, love requires patience. Not just with others, but with ourselves, toward ourselves as well.
“Love is patient…”
1 Corinthians 13:4
Have you decided to be your friend or your enemy to yourself? Are you choosing to write yourself off, in any way, believing it’s only hopeless? Or, are you going to give yourself a break? Friendship is not based on perfection. If that were the case, even God wouldn’t be bothered with us.
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8
So what if you’re “not there” yet? So what if your flaws seem to be glaring? How will rejection of yourself provide the answer to your life? It won’t. Because we’re designed to be loved, accepted and appreciated, by God and by ourselves, loathing, hatred and rejection will never feel right to us.
“I have chosen you and have not cast you away.”
Isaiah 41:9
And even if/when others make their poor decisions to loathe, hate or reject us, for whatever reason, we don’t have to follow suit. We can make another choice; we always make another choice. We can be a friend. We can befriend ourselves.
If love, indeed, never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8), treating ourselves as the valuable friends we are, will move us through our lives with blessing and possibility. Being our own adversary won’t.
So, Friend, where are you. Who are you- to yourself? Friend… or foe?
Friday, January 27, 2012
God can help your worries...
“…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
—Philippians 1:6
Thursday, January 26, 2012
About thin
It's not the end all, be all. It won't make your life perfect or erase/prevent any pain. Thin is not the answer; God IS!!!!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Be your own deeply loved teddy bear
Love yourself…
Give yourself a hug…
Be kind to yourself…
Yeah, yeah, yeah. We all hear that stuff often. But do we practice it?
Ever had a favorite toy? A teddy bear, maybe? Did you love, cuddle and take care of that bear with such intensity? Why not treat yourself like you treated your most beloved toy?
You are beloved. That standing does not depend upon your feelings; it’s a never changing Truth. It’s how God feels about you.
“Since you were precious in my sight… I have loved you…”
Isaiah 43:4
“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”
Jeremiah 31:3
Look to your most beloved toy as a reminder of God’s love for you. It’s there; it’s forever! And it’s yours!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
To a Worrywart...
Ever been called a worrywart? I think most of us could be described as this definition. Let’s face it; it’s a worrisome world.
How many of us are living in another time zone, either the past or the future. Either way, it seems like the thoughts we think about both are not exactly positive, are they. Fear, dread, worry, regret, anxiety… Have you been wading through these kinds of feelings whenever you look back on your past or look toward your future? It’s not very life affirming, is it?
One of today’s buzz phrase is “live in the present.” It sounds catchy. And yes, God said it first:
“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
Matthew 6:34
So, what do we do with that piece of advice? It seems we still go back to our worrying. We feel haunted and chased by our past, littered with all kinds of poor choices and failures. And we perch with uneasiness at the thought of the future which lies ahead. We are stubborn about this, aren’t we?
But while we’re doing this, as the stubborn, imperfect critters we seem to be, let’s tuck just a couple of things in our minds. First, worrying really does us no good, whatsoever.
“Which of you for all your worrying can add a moment to your span of life? And if you are not able to control such a small thing, why do you worry about the rest?”
Luke12:25-26
Worrying about something won’t safeguard us from experiencing it. It just makes us miserable. Something we fear may or may not happen. But regardless, there’s God.
“What shall we say after this? If God is with us, who shall be against us?”
Romans 8:31
"And He has our worries under His control, whatever they may be: God has things under control. “Do not be anxious about anything. In everything resort to prayer and supplication together with thanksgiving and bring your requests before God.”
Philippians4:6
“Place all your worries on him since he takes care of you.”
1Peter5:7
Our worrying about the past, present or future, however, does not do this. The past is done and covered…
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
Psalm 103:12
And the future does look bright, even in spite of our current circumstances…
“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
So, when that worrywart kicks up some dust, let’s try to remember God. He’s always with us, anyway. And nothing, including each of us, is too hard for Him!
“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”
Jeremiah 32:27
Copyright © 2012 by Sheryle Cruse
Friday, January 20, 2012
Solution:God
"God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
Exodus 3:14
The Second Is Like It Or Bullying: You Decide
“You’re so stupid!”
“You’ll never do anything right!
“I hate you!
Ever heard these statements? Ever been at the end of them?
How about this… ever say these statements… TO YOURSELF????
We’ve all been made more aware of the damaging bullying epidemic going on lately. There once was a time when bullying was restricted to school playgrounds. No more. Now we have cyber-bullying, thanks to the internet. The painful stakes just got higher.
But I want to focus briefly on the self-bullying we put ourselves through. Yep, no one can beat us up better than ourselves, huh? Somehow, whether through the distortion of abuse or low self-worth, we can get it into our noggins that it’s acceptable to put ourselves down, mistreat, call ourselves negative names and become our own worst bully.
I know I did my share of this with eating disorder behavior. I was always “too stupid,” “too disgusting,” “too worthless,” and yes, of course, “too fat.” I only saw the worst, never the best. I needed to punish myself and suffer, simply because I was myself.
You out there may have never dealt with bullying via eating disorder, but is there some other avenue you use instead? What do you use against yourself to tear yourself down?
God has created us for love, relationship and purpose. Bullying ourselves never fulfills any of that. And when we hurt ourselves, it hurts God more than we could ever understand. You and I are “good” (Genesis 1:27). God made a point to call us that, to name us that. Who are we, then, to act contrary to that Truth?
In Christianity, we’re frequently told to love our neighbor; we sorely miss this mark all the time. But catch Matthew 22:37-9. It’s that second one we get hung up on, isn’t it? If we can only hate, punish and bully ourselves, how could we ever successfully love and relate to others, let alone, God?
“Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Matthew 22:37-39
We’re created in God’s Image (Genesis 1:26-27), which is Love (1 John 4: 8). Therefore, we need to stop fighting our inherent image and nature. It does no good to bully anyone, including ourselves. I love this quote by the great Nelson Mandela:
“Your playing small does not serve anyone.”
Each time you tear another or yourself down, you bully.
Each time you determine anyone else’s life or your own life to be a small existence, you bully.
Each time you call a person or yourself a demeaning, negative name, you bully.
And each time this happens, God is hurt by it. Why?
Because His Love is intense and consuming concerning us.
“Since you were precious in my sight… I have loved you…”
Isaiah 43:4
He took great thought into creating us to be in a love relationship with Him.
“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.”
Psalm 139:13
“I have chosen you and have not cast you away.”
Isaiah 41:9
When we spend time hating others and ourselves, that relationship becomes fractured by the damaging, faulty mindset of being worthless in one facet or another. God has determined we’re worth MUCH, not worth LESS!!!
Again…
“Since you were precious in my sight… I have loved you…”
Isaiah 43:4
“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.”
Psalm 139:13
“I have chosen you and have not cast you away.”
Isaiah 41:9
Don’t bully one of God’s children; you’re included in that group. Remember, even when you are kind to another, if you beat yourself up, that is still bullying behavior- not of God. God’s thoughts toward us are always of love, compassion and kindness.
“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
Try that, yes of course, with others. But start first with yourself! Copyright © 2012 by Sheryle Cruse
“You’ll never do anything right!
“I hate you!
Ever heard these statements? Ever been at the end of them?
How about this… ever say these statements… TO YOURSELF????
We’ve all been made more aware of the damaging bullying epidemic going on lately. There once was a time when bullying was restricted to school playgrounds. No more. Now we have cyber-bullying, thanks to the internet. The painful stakes just got higher.
But I want to focus briefly on the self-bullying we put ourselves through. Yep, no one can beat us up better than ourselves, huh? Somehow, whether through the distortion of abuse or low self-worth, we can get it into our noggins that it’s acceptable to put ourselves down, mistreat, call ourselves negative names and become our own worst bully.
I know I did my share of this with eating disorder behavior. I was always “too stupid,” “too disgusting,” “too worthless,” and yes, of course, “too fat.” I only saw the worst, never the best. I needed to punish myself and suffer, simply because I was myself.
You out there may have never dealt with bullying via eating disorder, but is there some other avenue you use instead? What do you use against yourself to tear yourself down?
God has created us for love, relationship and purpose. Bullying ourselves never fulfills any of that. And when we hurt ourselves, it hurts God more than we could ever understand. You and I are “good” (Genesis 1:27). God made a point to call us that, to name us that. Who are we, then, to act contrary to that Truth?
In Christianity, we’re frequently told to love our neighbor; we sorely miss this mark all the time. But catch Matthew 22:37-9. It’s that second one we get hung up on, isn’t it? If we can only hate, punish and bully ourselves, how could we ever successfully love and relate to others, let alone, God?
“Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Matthew 22:37-39
We’re created in God’s Image (Genesis 1:26-27), which is Love (1 John 4: 8). Therefore, we need to stop fighting our inherent image and nature. It does no good to bully anyone, including ourselves. I love this quote by the great Nelson Mandela:
“Your playing small does not serve anyone.”
Each time you tear another or yourself down, you bully.
Each time you determine anyone else’s life or your own life to be a small existence, you bully.
Each time you call a person or yourself a demeaning, negative name, you bully.
And each time this happens, God is hurt by it. Why?
Because His Love is intense and consuming concerning us.
“Since you were precious in my sight… I have loved you…”
Isaiah 43:4
He took great thought into creating us to be in a love relationship with Him.
“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.”
Psalm 139:13
“I have chosen you and have not cast you away.”
Isaiah 41:9
When we spend time hating others and ourselves, that relationship becomes fractured by the damaging, faulty mindset of being worthless in one facet or another. God has determined we’re worth MUCH, not worth LESS!!!
Again…
“Since you were precious in my sight… I have loved you…”
Isaiah 43:4
“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.”
Psalm 139:13
“I have chosen you and have not cast you away.”
Isaiah 41:9
Don’t bully one of God’s children; you’re included in that group. Remember, even when you are kind to another, if you beat yourself up, that is still bullying behavior- not of God. God’s thoughts toward us are always of love, compassion and kindness.
“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
Try that, yes of course, with others. But start first with yourself! Copyright © 2012 by Sheryle Cruse
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Are we there yet?
“Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”
If you have children or have ever been one (which should pretty much cover all of us), you’re familiar with this nagging, repetitive question, often popping up in long car rides somewhere.
Are we there yet?
We want to get there already, wherever “there” is.
Sound familiar?
So, it ruffles our little ducky feathers when we’re reminded of 2 Corinthians 3:18, about the process…The process requiring patience.
“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 3:18
Oh yes, we love to be patient, don’t we?
Yeah.
But God tells us to be this kind of patient, especially when we want to whine, "are we there yet?”
God knows we need patience MORE than we need to be “somewhere.”
“In your patience possess ye your souls.”
Luke 21:19
“But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”
Romans 8:25
But there is a reward for it:
“For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”
Hebrews 10:36
Something to remember while we’re quacking through life, huh?
Patience: not a warm fuzzy, but a reliable thing, nevertheless.
We’re not there yet, but we are getting where we need to be with God.
Relax…and enjoy the ride.
Yes, I’m quacking to myself here too. Copyright © 2012 by Sheryle Cruse
If you have children or have ever been one (which should pretty much cover all of us), you’re familiar with this nagging, repetitive question, often popping up in long car rides somewhere.
Are we there yet?
We want to get there already, wherever “there” is.
Sound familiar?
So, it ruffles our little ducky feathers when we’re reminded of 2 Corinthians 3:18, about the process…The process requiring patience.
“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 3:18
Oh yes, we love to be patient, don’t we?
Yeah.
But God tells us to be this kind of patient, especially when we want to whine, "are we there yet?”
God knows we need patience MORE than we need to be “somewhere.”
“In your patience possess ye your souls.”
Luke 21:19
“But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”
Romans 8:25
But there is a reward for it:
“For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”
Hebrews 10:36
Something to remember while we’re quacking through life, huh?
Patience: not a warm fuzzy, but a reliable thing, nevertheless.
We’re not there yet, but we are getting where we need to be with God.
Relax…and enjoy the ride.
Yes, I’m quacking to myself here too. Copyright © 2012 by Sheryle Cruse
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)