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God’s Normal

God’s Normal

God’s Normal

I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. Psalm 57:2 NJV

What is God’s normal supposed to look like for all of us?

We probably have a different answer for that and that is great. You see, we all have a different answer because of how we view God and His kingdom.

And that is okay!

My thoughts this past week are quite simple: What does God say normal should be? Should we find God’s normal in each day?

I believe that God’s normal is not just an idea. God’s normal is Jesus. I believe that each and everyday we need to find a piece of heaven.

What I mean, short and to the point, having a Christ centered theology means that Jesus is the lens through which we interpret everything.

God works in the ordinary by doing things that we might not all notice because we are to busy to see it. We learn that in order to see God working in the ordinary, we must seek the small voice of God that makes us aware of how He works.

Our lives can feel dull when we are in the thick of our days– going to work, driving, working around the ranch and taking care of the kids– but that doesn’t mean we cannot still serve God where we are. It also doesn’t mean that we cannot see a piece of heaven everyday.

I know for myself that I tend to get stuck in the dull of everyday life and forget that God is at work in and through us. His normal is not our normal.

Do you see it?

Do you believe it?

I believe that what we believe must always line up with what He taught and the example that he left. I also think that the enemy is doing a fine job of distorting our understand of God and His kingdom by getting us to elevate our experiences and interpretations higher than Jesus. We must understand that when we look at Jesus we are looking at God. We must also understand that finding a little piece of heaven each and everyday will keep our enemy at bay.

Do you see heaven everyday?

What do you think God’s normal is?

If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. John 14:7 NJV

Happy Monday to you!! Have a great week! I

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A Sunday Thought A Sunday Thought

Are You Blooming in the Right Spot?

A Sunday Thought~

Are You Blooming in the Right Spot?

My thoughts this week have actually been a little scattered but I am going to share anyway!!

Are you blooming in the right spot? This is the question that I have been asking myself.

You see, “A weed is any plant that grows where you don’t want it.”

There is still snow on the ground, but I am thinking Spring. Spring is when I plant a small garden. I enjoy spending family time, planting, watering and weeding our little garden. There can be a lot of lessons learned from a garden and one of those lessons I am thinking about is this:

“Volunteered” plants that show up in the wrong spot. For example, maybe a corn plant that “volunteerley” showed up in the strawberries. If you don’t pull that corn plant out of the ground, it will choke out the strawberries and rob them of water and nutrients.

You see, human beings aren’t plants, we have our own minds and God-given free will. But sometimes “us” humans try to bloom where God doesn’t intend for us to be.

I have been studying about King Saul’s son, Jonathan.

Jonathan had every reason to expect to be the king. But he saw that God blessed David, and recognized the envy and pride of his own father. You can read about this in 1 Samuel 18:12-15 NJV. Jonathan knew that the throne would never be his so you know what he did? He became David’s best friend, in fact, he even saved his life. ( 1 Samuel 19:1-6; 20:1-4 NJV)

Would you say that Jonathan gave up too much? Some say he did, but how would we prefer to be remembered? Like the outgoing Saul, who hung on to his kingdom and then lost it? Or like Jonathan, who protected the life of a friend who would become an hero of Jesus?

I do know that God’s plan is always better than our own. We can fight against what he has planned for us and resemble a misplaced weed. Or we can accept His directions and become flourishing, fruitful plants in His garden.

HE LEAVES THE CHOICE WITH US.

Are you a weed or are you in the spot that God has planned?

How do we know if we are in the place that God wants us to be?

I believe that we can find the answer by the condition of our hearts. 1 Samuel 9:2 explains about Saul, who is a handsome man and that seemed an ideal match for a nation that wanted to be led by men rather then God. (1 Samuel 8:1-5 NJV) Saul’s successor, David, who also was a handsome man. (1 Samuel 17:42) But when you look at their personal and family lives, Saul, Jonathan and David, they show us that while man looks on the outward appearance, God takes a look at mans hearts. Saul became a rude and bitter man. David, who was not perfect, knew that he should trust in the Lord. Jonathan, learned that being a loyal friend to David and trusting David’s God was a lot better than being in place of his father’s ruined throne and life. I know that I am daily asking God to plant me where he wants. God will help us daily with this.

 

Have a great week friends!

 

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A Sunday Thought

Have you hit the “Reset Button?”

A Sunday Thought

A Sunday Thought~ Have you hit the “Reset Button?”

A Sunday Thought~ Have you hit the “Reset Button?”

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

James 4:8 NJV

We are starting the third week of 2018 and I have been thinking about the new year.

It promises to be amazing. It promises to bring challenges.

I usually don’t make New Year’s resolutions, I set goals.

One of this year’s goal is to hit my own “Reset Button.”

Yes, we can all press this button. It has taken me a while to figure out that you actually can restart. We have one big enemy that says, “Naomi, you aren’t strong enough to change.”

“Things will never get better,” the enemy says, “you aren’t strong enough to change.”

Except I know better. I am STRONG. God has given us everything we need to be able to push the “Reset Button” and turn back on whatever aspects of our lives that we are not so fond of. God actually calls this grace. Grace literally means the opportunity to start over. The chance to fall on our knees and ask God to give us a second chance. To give us strength. To give us courage. To give us guidance. The best part of this is that God’s answer is always yes.

What I mean, is to rethink about what direction I want to go.

Personally. Spiritually. With Business.

I decided the best way to hit these goals was to press the “Reset Button.”

This is how I am going to do it and I want you all to join me.

Study More. No, I don’t mean from just any one book. I am talking about the Bible. My goal is read this book for guidance everyday, a little more.

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom I shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?Psalms 27:1 NJV

Build My Tribe. I already feel like I have a great tribe, but I really want to build more on my tribe. My tribe includes my cowboy, friends and family members. These tribe members provide me with power, inspiration, knowledge, and support. I have learned that having this tribe keep me honest and on track, providing me a sense of accountability. These tribe members of mine are so beneficial because we often take on habits of those that are closest to us. Can I help you build your tribe? I would love to help you and I would love for you to help me.

Manage My Stress Level. I believe that most of my stress level comes from me not being able to say, no. My personality doesn’t help this one out, but I am going to try to find a balance of Yes’ and No’s. I am to do a little more de-stressing. Do you have any good ways that you de-stress? Please share. I know that de-stressing releases feel-good neurochemicals such as dopamine. Reducing stress not only helps us to achieve this “Reset Button”, it will also improve my ability to cope with all of life’s challenges, improve my moods, it will decrease general symptomatology and enhance my overall feeling of well-being.

Show More Love. Smile a little more. Laugh More. Do More for Those Around Me. Be Humble.

Take Time to Explore and Engage. I think that this is all about finding my purpose in life and then pursuing it passionately.

Eat Better. It really isn’t rock science. If we eat good, then we will feel better. Eating better will help me achieve a balanced mood, will decrease stress, it will promote feelings of well-being, and give me a long-lasting energy.

I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13 NJV

We are in control of our own abilities to develop intrinsic motivation by the choices that we make. I believe that in order to fully “Reset” I must surround myself with positive, optimistic people, practice mindfulness, be humble, volunteering, show gratitude, and being kind for no reason.

We’ve got this. Let me know if I can help you or pray for you. We’re all a messed up work in progress, my friends.

Start with me now, it only takes a second.

Take a deep breath.

Make a plan.

Push the “Reset Button.”

Happy Monday, dear friends!!

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A Sunday Thought

Do You Deserve a Christmas Present?

Do You Deserve a Christmas Present?

(Editors note: Please note that this post isn’t judging anyone that gives or receives presents. I am just sharing my thoughts.)

It’s the middle of December, which means that everywhere, every newspaper and every radio station, we are being serenaded with Christmas music. “It’s the must wonderful time of the year.”

Cue the record scratch. Wonderful?

Well, Christmas should be the most wonderful time of the year, but often, instead of celebrating what matters, we all get caught up in our culture’s consumerist Christmas mindset. The stress starts long before December and that stress stays with us all long after you’ve left the mall. Then you wake up in January with a holiday spending hangover. Yuck.

Friends, it doesn’t have to be this way.

We can all take a step back and turn our focus on Him.

I know, it’s tough to go against the grain, but I think we should refocus and shift our perspective of what Christmas really means.

I know, it is going to take courage and faith.

I get that. Everybody asked, “What do you want for Christmas?”

What is your answer?

A computer, a new horse or is it just quiet time with our families?

My goal is to turn the focus on HIM while keeping less spiritual traditions in check.

Do we really deserve a present?

Did we already get the present of Life?

I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that the idea of gift giving can get carried away.

I want to bring it back to the good ol’ day days. Don’t you?

Rather, then all the gifts, I want to remember the gift that God has given to each of us. I want to give all year around.

It really is the only gift that truly keeps on giving and giving, so I here are my four points:

First, God’s gift to us was a complete surprise. It was not expected, and as you examine it more carefully, you realize how great a gift it actually was.

Second, God’s gift came wrapped in rags and was laid in a feeding trough. Think about that. It is a humbling thought. He wasn’t wrapped in a pretty bow or expensive paper. Jesus was born in a stable, in the straw. God’s gift to us, the ultimate gift of eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ, came in the simplest and humblest wrapping.

Third, do we deserve this gift. Think about who you give gifts to: those who you care about and those that have been kind to us. We don’t tend to give gifts to the people that we don’t really like, don’t have a relationship with or who we don’t feel deserve it. Yet God gave us his gift when we all were his enemies. He didn’t give this gift to us because we deserved it. It was just the opposite of that. “But God commedeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Roman 5:8)

Fourth, the gift tell us something about the giver. Think about it, when you want to give someone a gift, we starting thinking about it ahead of time. We think about what they like, what color they like and etc. When God decided to give us the gift of eternal life, he just didn’t throw it at us. Long before there was a town called Bethlehem, a garden called Eden, and a planet called Earth, there was a decision that was made in eternity that God would send forth His only son, born to a women that wasn’t supposed to have kids. “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8)

So Christmas isn’t about those gifts that we may or may not receive. You see, those gifts are just things that we all know will be gone some day. We cannot take them to our graves. We all know that after this life the human soul will be the only thing that lives on.

Life is about what happens beyond the grave. Life is about knowing the God who made you and me and who gave us the greatest gift you will ever receive.

Take a think, do you deserve a Christmas present?

 

Happy Monday, dear friends!

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A Sunday Thought

Flight or Fight

A Sunday Thought

Flight or Fight

What is your natural response to conflicts and disagreement? Fight or Flight?

My stomach in knots, my throat tightened, and holding back tears… you might think that I was getting sick. Not so. In my mind, it was something worse. It was a confrontation. My body was reacting to the emotional turmoil going on in my head. The conflict had escalated to the point where I wasn’t sleeping at night, I had a headache and to be honest with you, I was grouchy.

What should I do? Fight or Flight?

Those of us who are fighters get really defensive. We go on the offense against the other person and we often cause the disagreements to escalate into a huge fight. Those of us that are flee-ers verbally ignore the issue because we hate conflict, and run off to let our problems fester in our minds and hearts, often leading to much more anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness.

What do you do? Fight or Flight?

There is another way to deal with these types of situations. This is what I am personally working on. It is not our human nature. We have a super power that will help us, through the power and love of God we can change the way we deal with conflict and move toward peace.

Jesus prioritized unity among his people.

Neither pray I for these alone, but them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou has sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. John 17: 20-23

This is Jesus’ prayer for his disciples. He focuses on oneness and asked God that his followers be one three time. He also asked twice that such unity results in the world’s recognition that Jesus was sent by God. You see, when we are one, we recognize that it comes from above and we are drawn to follow him and his example.

But….

You know there is a but here…

We have family and/or friend experiences, however, that don’t look like this picture. Why? Because we either fight or flight. We tend to have permanent anger, unforgiveness and bitter hearts toward one another. Let’s read these verses again:

Neither pray I for these alone, but them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou has sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. John 17: 20-23

Jesus’s prayer points us in the right direction. The way that we react to conflict, I believe, bears witness to our faith.

Are you a fighter? I am sometimes and this is what I am working on when I want to fight:

Pray and think before I speak.

Remove myself from the situation if possible.

Carefully choose my words so that the conversation changes direction.

I try unstand my feelings by digging deeper into the question, “Why am I having these feelings/What is fueling them.” Then explain them in a non-attacking way.

Confront in a loving and honest way.

Are you a flee-er? I am sometimes. I run and hide. This is what I am working on when I want to run, I mean flee:

Speak the truth in love and try to get my feelings and my issues on the table.

Discus the issues, instead of holding them in.

Whether a fighter, flee-er or both, like me, I know that we must ask God for the grace to speak the truth in love, choose forgiveness, and then move toward peace and love with those whom we have conflicts. This may include friends, spouses, and family members.

I would like to seek God more about these conflicts that cause me to flight or fight. I know that I often ignore conflicts or ignore the problems, I put them on the back burner hoping that they will disappear on their own, but they never do. They get bigger and then they boil over. My prayer this week is this:

Dear Lord, I am calling upon you today for your guidance and help. I am in crisis and need a supporting hand to keep me on the right and just path.

My heart is troubled, but I will strive to keep it set on you, as your infinite wisdom will show me the right way to a just and right resolution. Thank you for hearing my prayer and for staying by my side.

Amen!

Happy Monday to you all.

Are you a fighter or a flee-er? Do you have any advice how to deal with conflicts?

 

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A Sunday Thought God

“Love Your Naamans”

“Love Your Naamans”

A Sunday Thought “Love Your Naamans”

But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call the name of the LORD is God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

II Kings 5:11

This past week my thoughts have been on entitlement. Entitlement is an issue. It is rampant in our culture. It is an issue that we read about and see it all the time. Do we really know what entitlement is? Are you confused about it?

Have you ever heard these statements:

“I deserve better.”

“I deserve more.”

“I deserve it all.”

“People should take care of me.”

“I’m entitled to more than I’m getting.”

I know that I have heard these statements, even out of my own mouth. Are they right? I started looking into it. The Bible gives us a good example of a man who suffered from entitlement. You will find his story in II Kings. His name is Naaman.

Naaman, as we read in the Bible, was a commander of a powerful army, a strong soldier, and was well regarded by his superiors and yet, had leprosy. At this time, there was no known cure for this disease.

One of Naaman servants told him where he could go to be healed. So he went to Elisha with his horses and chariots. Elisha told him that if he washed in the Jordan River seven times, he would be cleansed.

Here’s where we read of Naaman’s entitlement:

Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.

2 Kings 5:12

Entitlement comes with two attitudes:

1. I am exempt from any one responsibility, and

2. I am owed special treatment.

In other words, I don’t have to carry my own burdens, and I should be treated differently.

Naaman presents both of these characteristics in his response. First, in Naaman’s mind, he was owed special treatment or at least a proper acknowledgment. Second, Naaman felt that he should be exempt from responsibility. He didn’t want the responsibility to follow orders by washing in the river.

We all have a Naaman in our lives.

We all know a Naaman, perhaps it’s a co-worker, family member or friend who wants you to wave a hand over their situation and fix their problems. Maybe you have a son or daughter that, despite your best parental efforts, has chosen a path of laziness. They feel they deserve special treatment with no responsibility.

Here’s what we need to remember:

Change happens in the presence of compassion (love). Before you look at that Naaman in your life and pretentiously point out all their failings, remember that we have all been a Naaman. The Bible tells us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”(Romans 3:23).

Here are a couple of things that we can do to help (in my opinion):

1. Be truly “for” them.

Naaman’s servants wanted him to be healed. They wanted to truly help him. I feel that entitled people need alot of our support! Even when they drive you crazy, frustrate you and make you feel helpless, they still require the elements of grace. We have all failed, and we will all need second and third chances.

2. Be black and white about your expectations.

Entitlement often causes people to not listen well to requirements and to others’ needs and expectations. Because those things don’t support their view of themselves as special and above the rules, they tend to dismiss them. So what can we do? We can be black and white with them.

At the end of Naaman story he was healed. He had encouragement, patience and wisdom from all his servants, and he ultimately followed Elisha’s orders.

I believe that entitlement can be helped and I believe that if we aren’t careful, this entitlement mentality will invade our relationship with God. Does God owe us anything? No, I believe that we owe him. In all reality, we owe God and the good news is that he doesn’t give us what we deserve. Instead, in mercy he gives us life! He gives us eternity and freedom and forgiveness and hope and love and truth.

Do you believe it?

I know that God’s paths work for our good and for His glory. I would like a chance to make a difference. Give me compassion for the Naamans in my life.

Happy Monday, dear friends!

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A Sunday Thought

A Sunday Thought~Giving Our Time

Giving Our Time

The greatest gift you can give someone is your Time. Because when you give your Time, you are giving a portion of your life that you can never get back.

This is one of my favorite parts of blogging, writing Sunday Thoughts. I really enjoy writing my thoughts down and then sharing them with you all.

This past week, my thoughts have been on our “Time”.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Eccl. 3: 1-8

How are we using the time God has given to us?

You know, time is the heritage of every person. Whether we are a lawyer or ranch owner, a cowboy or truck driver, a successful business person or a grocery clerk, each of us has the same number of hours.

It is our choice how we spend our hours, each day.

Let me tell you that again.

It is our choice how we spend our hours, each day.

We need to be spending our hours each day wisely because quite frank, we don’t know if we have tomorrow.

This week I decided to write down where I need to spend my time.

Family-Husband and Kids, Friends,  Ranching, Blogging, etc.

Spending quality time with the people that we love and care about creates strong bonds, love, connections and relationships among them all. It really is amazing what you learn about people if you just give them your time.

I actually am a little disappointed in myself. Why you ask? Well, I don’t spend enough time with people that I need to. I don’t spend enough time reading my Bible. I don’t spend enough time praying. I realize that I try, but I have interceptions, like  social media, for example. So this week and going forward, my goal is to make the most out of my time.

I want to spend more of my time, really listening, really caring and putting away those agents that disrupt my time. I want to spend more time on my knees. I want to spend more time reading my Bible. I know that spending quality time with family, friends and activities that matter the most will help create stronger bonds, stronger love, stronger connections and stronger relationships. Spending quality time with these things also will help in coping with challenges. It will instill security, it will strength family values, it will fill our kids with confidence and much more than I can describe.

Giving our time is much more fundamental to our well-being than just doing good deeds. It is also a foundation on which we can all build a better life for ourselves while we build better relationships with our family, friends and our communities.

Giving our time also works in some really important ways:

Happiness.Being open to doing more, having the intent to help others, being connected, and doing it now gives more than just a sense of satisfaction. It makes a real difference in every aspect of our lives.

Connections. Think about how important good connections are. Really think about this. If you don’t have a good battery connection on your car, then it will not start. Right? I think a good connection with your spouse, your kids and your friends works the same way. If we don’t have a good connection with them, then we will not be able to be happy and/or productive. Giving our time also helps us to connect to like-minded people.

Perception. Giving our undivided time changes our perception of what time really is so we become more open to new opportunities. These opportunities will actually give us more time.

Intent. The more intent we have to help someone around us, the more giving time will come back around to us. Serving ourselves is limiting, but serving others is really empowering.

Immediacy. Giving our time should start Now. Not when we loose someone close, or maybe a life-changing event.  We should start TODAY. Will you join me? I want to help those around me out, even if it is a small tasks like giving a ride, being extra kind, sending a note.

I truly believe that the best gift that we can give is our time.

Our time is free, but at the same time, priceless.

If we start giving our time with good intentions, everyday, we will really make a difference in our own lives, and the lives of our spouse, our kids and those around us. It might take a while; in fact, I know it will be slow but believe me, it will change.

I am going to change my “why” should I,  to “how” can I.

Are you with me?

We *do* have time today to make a difference.

Let’s start giving “our time” today.

Happy Monday, dear Friends!!

 

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A Sunday Thought Circle L Sunday Thoughts

A Sunday Thought~ 5 Ways to be a Godly Women

A Sunday Thought~ 5 Ways to be a Godly Women

You can not break a women who seeks her happiness in God.

This week I have been thinking about ways that I can become more Godly and I decided to share all my thoughts.

So how do you become a Godly person?

The Bible actually talks about several characteristics that women should strive to have—and others they should avoid.

God wants us to be: Hard workers.

Proverbs 31:10-31 has some of the best words describing what it means to be a Godly women. God also wants us to seek him first. I won’t post all the verses because I really want you all to look it up and really read these verses. I am going to share with you my favorite verses:

Who can find a virtuous women? For her price is far above rubies.

The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.  

She stretchers out her hand to the poor; yea, she reaches forth her hand to the needy. 

She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

Being a hard worker can look different for everyone and it is not always the same in different stages of our lives, but I know that somedays I need to work a little harder. It is also important to realize that we need to take time out to rest as well. What I am talking about is making good use of our time while we have it.

God doesn’t want us to be: Too Busy.

For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now they that are such we command and exhort by Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

2 Thessalonians 3:11-12

It is ok to be busy, not a busybody. If we are working hard at the right things, we won’t have time for gossiping and it is also really important that we aren’t too busy for our family and friends.

God wants us to be: Generous.

She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. Proverbs 31;20

I don’t think this necessary means money, I think it really means our time. Time goes by so fast that I think it is hard for us to really give others our undivided time. I also think that staying humble is a way to show generousity.

God doesn’t want us to be: Materialistic.

I think we all have this trait in us. Right? I mean we all can struggle with this. I know that I do. It is a struggle not to compare and want what other people have.

God wants us to be: Kind.

She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

Proverbs 31:26

God wants us to be kind and teach kindness to our kids. I tell my kids to speak kindness to others even when they don’t feel like it. I really want to be known for my kindness and grace. How can we be more kind?

*Smile More *Give Hugs *Send Hand Written Notes*Say Please and Thank You*Give a Secret Gift*Really Listen When Your Friend Has Something to Share*Choose An Attitude of Joy*Watch Someone’s Kids, With Joy*Send a Thank You Note*

God doesn’t want us to be: Mean.

What comes to mind when I think of mean is the “mean girls” stereotype because, for a few women, it hits the nail on the head. We need to speak kindness, not slander.

God want us to be: Wise.

She considerate a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

Proverbs 31:16

My prayer is that I am wise about my everyday decisions and actions. We as individuals control what we say, what we do and how we do it.

God doesn’t want us to be: Foolish.

We are in control of foolish thoughts, actions and words. Really we are. When I think of foolish, I think of those who are not trustworthy and that how I want to be known.

God wants us to be: Modest.

Let it not be that outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on apparel;

But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirt, which is in the sight of God of great price.

1Peter 3:3-4

Being modest is one of the most important aspects. Why? Well to be quite frank, dressing immodestly is like rolling around in bunch of manure. Yes, you will get attention, but it is the wrong type of attention. Isn’t that what we really want: to be loved and appreciated for who we are, rather than just lusted over for what physical pleasure we can perform?

God doesn’t want us to be: Vain.

The word “vain” can mean two can hold two different meanings: being “excessively proud of or concerned about one’s own appearance,” or “without real significance, value, or importance; baseless or worthless; futile.” There’s a reason they’re related. Just focusing on one’s own identity and own physical beauty is a losing proposition.

I wanted to included one more, its a bonus!!

God wants to be: Gentle.

This is the imperishable beauty that 1 Peter 3:4 calls you to focus on instead of physical beauty. Also, it is the flip side to…

God doesn’t want us to be: Quarrelsome.

This is another character trait I am working on. I am working on being a better wife, a better mom and a better friend. I don’t want to be a fighter. I don’t want to be the nagging wife, friend or mom.  There are a number of Proverbs that talk about quarrelsome or nagging wives, and they don’t paint a pretty picture. Proverbs 19:13 and Proverbs 27:15-16. Look them up. I don’t want to be this women at all.

I know that there is more, but I feel like these are the ones that I need to work on. It is a good starting point for me for I know that they are more challenging and difficult to attain they they might first appear. I do know one thing, that by us all trusting God’s hand one day at a time, step-by-step, we all will grow in maturity of Christ and that my friend is what I want to do. Will you join me? With all the help we have on our side, we can put our trust in God not only for eternal life but for our purpose and direction for life while we are on this earth. 

 

Happy Monday, Friends!!

Categories
A Sunday Thought Circle L Circle L Ranch God Sunday Thoughts

God~Our Team Captain

God~ Our Team Captain

My Sunday thoughts are quit simple.

God is our team captain.

This is what I have been thinking about,

When I was in school, a while back, our PE teacher would pick team captains. It was then the captains’ job to pick his/her team. I can remember the feeling that I would get when I would get picked. It felt good. Right? Do you remember the feeling of being picked? I do and I don’t ever want to forget that feeling.

That is the same feeling I got when God pick me to be on his team. You see, strong players are the backbone to every team.

But being on God’s team requires some responsibilities. Here’s my list:

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor.

Ecc. 4:9

We have to work Together. When we work together, we can double our strength and get more done.

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Proverber 27:17

We have to have each other’s back. Being on God’s team is so special. It’s like checks and balances. We have someone watching our back. God will help us if we falter or lose sight of our goal, just like a good friendship. A good friend doesn’t always agree with you, what you do or what you say. A real friend is someone that is willing to challenge you, to be a better person. A team player encourages his teammates to be better players. Teamwork and friendship work in similar ways.

We have to work together. We all have something unique and special to offer God’s team. We must realize the gifts God has given to us through his love, together our team will have so many options and great advatages to share with others on our team.

We have to fill our spot. Teamwork relies on everyone knowing their position and fulfilling it.

We have to love our team mates. Teamwork requires a good foundation of truth and love. This is sustained by the forgiveness of God. We must follow God’s example and forgive each other. We also need to encourage others.

We have to be good communicators. I know that communication is key in any sport. I also know that communication is important when we are on God’s team. Prayer is the key to communication with our God.

To be an awesome team player, we don’t have to be extroverted or indulge in self-promotion. In fact, great team players have all kinds of personalities. All we really need is to be active, we need to participant and we need to play our role. To be an awesome team player, we need to put our teams objectives above our own and take the initiative to get things done without being asked. In the end, our team will win.

So what about being a team captain? Do you think that God assigns some of us to be “Team Captains” right along with him?

I do!

This verse provides the answers, and I love this verse:

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

John 15:16

The verse is very powerful, right? I mean read it again. These are words that Jesus said.

“I have chosen YOU”

It gives me the goosebumps to be honest with you.

So what do we need to become a team captain? Do you think that God makes us team captains? Oh, I think he does and I think that we need to know what it takes to be a good captain. Here are my thoughts:

Team captains are team leaders. When God assigns us to be a “Captain” we need to listen, communicate and respects those that are on our team. Being a Godly example is to what I’m referring.

Team captains think positive. Being optimistic really means to be hopeful of something good. When God puts us as “Captain” we need to motivate those around us by saying, “We can do this together”, “I will join you.” God doesn’t want our team to fail. Positive thinking enables us to perform at a level that we would never think would be possible.

Team captains pray for their team. God knows our skills, well in fact, God knows everything and we need to pray that God will direct us in everything, everyday. Team captains know what their teammates are capable of doing and not only prays for them, but also gives their teammates opportunities to succeed.

 Team captains understand that it takes a team to win. I know that it takes a team everyday to help me and my family. Right? Yes, I am thankful for those that pray for my family and I. I am also thankful that God listens to my prayers for those around me. It truly does take a whole team working together  to win our game called Life.

Team captains know their teammates skills. I am so glad that God knows the skills I am capable of doing. He knows yours as well.

Team captains knows their teammates personally. Being a “Captain” takes time. Time seems to go so quickly, but it is actually the most important gift we can give our team. Time. Yes sitting down in the quiet, praying and listening is always crucial. Taking time to get to know our teammates is important as well.

Team captains are mentors. This one is so important and like I started before it takes time. Mentoring will help win this game of life. Listening, giving affirmation,being a friend, loving, caring, giving Godly advice, tips and instructions is all you need to be a great mentor. God is a great mentor example for all of us.

Bottom line: team captains take responsibility to lead all of his/her teammates. If God assigns us to be a “Captain” then we need to make sure we are thinking and acting for the betterment of our whole team and not our own benefit.

The most important teammate that we can have on our team is God. He is THE “Team Captain.” In this game of “Life” we are all teammates. Some of us might be assigned to be a team captain, but we all have the same goal. Right?

When God calls each of us home, we all want to see his face at the end of our race. So why not help each other out? Well this week I am stepping up my game, I want to be a team captain. I want to be a better team player and I want to pick you for my team.

Will you join me? Because I just picked YOU to be on my team and you have some responsibilities to fill.

 

Happy Monday to you all.

 
Categories
A Sunday Thought God Godly Godly Traits Good attitude

God Confidence vs. Self Confidence

A Sunday Thought~God Confidence vs. Self Confidence

Learning the difference between God’s-Confidence vs Self-Confidence this week has really opened my eyes and my soul.

This week Cody and I have been talking about the difference in God-confidence and our self-confidence. It has been so good for me that I decided to share my thoughts with you all.

You see, I have been running my days on self confidence and I have decided that I am going to start running my days on God’s confidence.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.  Ephesians 2:10

So what is the difference?  How can we adjust ourselves?

Self Confidence is how we believe in ourselves and our abilities, it is basically how we think and feel about ourselves.  As I write this I find myself worrying about what others will say, or what they will think. Whenever I lack self-confidence like this, or become overly self-conscious, I freeze up. I’m afraid I’m not clever enough or interesting, and you won’t keep reading my post. This really is something that I work on everyday with my blog posts. I know that I am not the only one that experiences this paralyzing self-consciousness. Right?

This is how I see it, the root of our problem is FEAR. Fear of rejection, fear of loosing, fear of looking dumb, fear of what others think, fear of what other people think or fear about how other people feel about us. These fears cause us all to hesitate and not put ourselves out there.

But….

What about pride? Sometimes we are driven by pride, we become determined to prove ourselves to those around us. Right? This activity can cause us to accomplish a lot, but in the end the result is more about us and way less about God. Pride can be the cause of our low self image and that feeling bad for ourselves. Here’s an example:

When we can’t do something as well as we’d like, our pride can’t bear the thought of our “losing” or “not measuring up.” So we mope about our shortcomings and failures, and stop trying.

Sound familiar. O ya, I have found myself doing the above.

Well the good news is that we can change our focus. We can move from being so self-conscious (like worrying about what others might be thinking of us) to being more God-conscious (like focusing on what God wants in our lives and let him work on our imperfect morals to help those around us).

Discussing this with Cody, we decided that we are going to work on being more God confident. We made a list of our thoughts:

  1. When we are more God Confident, we can base our self-image on what God thinks of us. We know that God loves us, that he values us, that he will forgive us and that we have a purpose in life. What really matters is what God can do though our lives.
  2.  We need to ask God EVERYDAY to help us serve him in his purpose(s). God has a plan for each of us. We want to make sure that we are following that.
  3.  We are going to quit procrastinating. (THIS ONE IS GOING TO BE HARD FOR ME.) We know that we have important work to do before he comes again. We want to make sure that we are ready.
  4. We need to be grateful for all we have and we need to offer our thanks to him everyday.
  5. We decided to make an EVERYDAY conscious decision to trust that God will do good things through us. We know that having God confidence in ourselves will help those around us.

 

In the end, focusing on our selves will either keep us from getting to the work that God has planned for us to do, or will distract our motivation and messages by bringing glory to ourselves instead of God. If we focus on the one in the clouds, our confidence will soar and will motivate us to get the work that God has for each of us to do today.

Thanks for letting me share our thoughts today with you all. This is definitely something that I need to work on each and every day. I need more confidence in God’s work within myself. I get so tangled up in myself that it causes me to have anxiety and fear.

Today, will you make a stand with me?

Together let’s let our God-Confidence SHINE.

 

Happy Monday, Friends!!

 

 

Categories
A Sunday Thought Amen bible Quilt Sewing

4 Simple Ways to Sew A Life Quilt

Reata and Mama Reata and Mama made this quilt for fair.

4 Simple Ways to Sew a Life Quilt

Have you caught the life quilting bug?

Do you have a life quilt started but you haven’t finished it yet? Do you have more than one life quilt?

What have you included in your Life Quilt? Memories? Stories? Photos?

These thoughts I have had this past week.  LIFE’S QUILTS. I began to think about my life quilt and what I need to finish it. I have a ways to go but I wanted to share with you all some Sunday Thoughts. You see I know that we all need the comfort of a quilt, maybe not everyday, but we do need it. 

If you have the itch to stitch your life quilt, check out these 5 Simple Ways to Sew a Life Quilt.

1. WE GET TO CHOOSE OUR OWN LIFE QUILT PATTERN(S).

The good news about starting your life quilt is that we get to choose how we will make it. We get to choose what we put into our own quilt(s). We get to choose what we put into our quilts. Love, Care, Time and Memories are just a few things that I want to be putting into my own quilt. 

You see, our life quilts are special.

Our life quilts are unique.

What kind of quilt are you making in life? Does it include Godly things? Does it include good memories? Does it include all your life events? 

Our life quilt fabric can be made up of large pieces and/or small pieces of our lives. God is here to make it easier to have an accurately pieced block for our life quilts. With his help we have less room for error.

2. CHOOSE QUILT PATTERNS THAT USE SQUARES AND RECTANGLES.

Squares and rectangles you say?

What I mean is that when we are sewing our life quilt, if we use squares and rectangles then our life quilt will be easier to sew. So what does a life square or rectangles look like?

Lifes squares and rectangles fit together perfectly. They make each day better. Some of my lifes squares and rectagles are my friends and my family that help me out each day. They lift me up and give me blocks to make my quilt look amazing.

Out quilt patterns put together with square and rectangle pieces are not only easier to sew but they make our quilts look amazing. 

3. CHOOSE LIFE QUILT PATTERNS MADE WITH PRE-CUTS.

You understand what I am saying about pre-cuts?

Pre-cuts are all ready cut and packaged fabrics cut into a variety of measurements and sizes. So in our life quilt God has pre-cuts all ready for us, we just have to ask him for them. This is so good, I mean where else can you find your life quilt blocks already to go? I know that God has our quilts blocks ready to go, we just need to be willing to pick them up.  

4. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TOOLS.

The tools you need for a life quilt include but not limited to:

The Bible

Prayer

Friends and Family

Faith

Life’s Thread

These are just a few tools that you need to make your life quilt. What can you add to my list?

 

Our life quilt is made to comfort us and protect us. The Bible tells us this:

 

Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he  might know your estate, and comfront your hearts; 

Colossians 4:8

I am going to leave you all with a few lines about our life quilts. 

The more we put into a life quilt the better.

When life gives us scraps, lets make a quilt together.

Sewing our life quilts, mends our souls.

Just make your life quilt with one stitch at a time.  Some days we might have to unstitch our blocks that we have sewed together because of life’s mistakes and that is ok. 

Happy Monday, dear Friends!!

 

 

Categories
A Sunday Thought Expectations faith Goals God Life Look Up

A Sunday Thought~Raise Our Expectations

A Sunday Thought

A Sunday Thought~Raise Our Expectations

 

With every high expectation there is a low expectation.
After every victory there is a letdown.
With every Blessing there comes a testing.
But let it be our motivation to pray more and turn to God.


Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth.
Colossians 3:2

It is a spiritual as well as a psychological fact: we move toward what we see in our minds.
Our lives will follow our expectations. 

My thoughts have been on on expectations! Let me explain. Without realizing it, most of us spend much of our time trapped inside the “busy-ness” of daily life. We are effectively unconscious to the world and sleepwalk through our days. Being locked inside such busy-ness can erode a vast chunk of our life by stealing our time. We all have expectations, right? We have low expectations and high expectations. I wrote a list out of some thoughts that detour our thinking about high expectations.

They are:
Our Situation Has Lasted So Long, And We Don’t Think It Will Ever Change
We put more trust in people than we do God.
Our Friends Enable Instead of Empower
We Ask God For Just Enough To Get By
We have a hard time focusing on what is happening right now
We are “running on automatic,” without much awareness of what we are doing
We rush here and there and never really be attentive to them.
We find ourselves preoccupied with the future or the past.

In other words, are we driven by the daily routines that force us to live in our heads rather than in our lives?

Quantity isn’t everything, of course. But those who practice mindfulness are also less anxious and stressed, as well as more relaxed, fulfilled and energized, so not only does life seem longer as it slows down and you begin to “show up for it,” but it seems happier, too.

God is extremely interested in what we see through our “spiritual eyes.” What I mean is this; if we have a vision of victory in our life, we can rise to that new level. But if our gaze is on the ground instead of our possibilities, we are  hurling our selves in the wrong direction. If our gaze is on the ground, we are missing great things God wants to do in and though us.

Our life will follow our expectations.

Let me say that one more time.

Our life will follow our expectations.

What we expect is what we are going to get.
EVERYDAY. WE. NEED. TO.KNOW.OUR.EXPECTATIONS.
Don’t let them down.
Don’t look down.

If we raise our level of expectancy, our vision will be enlarged.

On the opposite side of my list, I made a column of what we can do to help get our expectations back on track.
They are:

Appreciate Happiness. Happiness is looking at the same situation with different eyes. Life is happening at this very moment. Tomorrow and yesterday are only thoughts. So make the best of today. Think of all the  circumstances or people that make you happy and write them down. Why do they make you happy?

Turn off Social Media. This has been the biggest and best action I have taken to help me look up. All the likes, shares and etc. are not going to get us to heaven. Everyone has ups, downs, good days and bad, they just don’t share them all with us. So while it may look like they have it all together, I can assure you they don’t. I have picked Sunday to turn off all Social Media.

Breathe. I know we are breathing right now, but really whenever you feel tired, angry, stressed, anxious or unhappy, take a breather. I can remember my coach in high school, when our team was getting off track, he would say “go take a 5 minute breather.” So we would all go to the water fountain, take a drink, walk back to the gym and then continue on with practice. He was really smart. (Don’t tell him I said that!!) You know why? Because when we would get back to the gym, everything that had been really bugging us, didn’t seem as big as we thought.  So whenever life seems to be getting off track, take time to breathe.

Write in a diary. This one has really help me. I have been writing in a diary every night. I write my goals, my thoughts, what we did for that day. I write down what I am thankful for. I write down what I need to work on. I am telling you what, just this little 5 minute exercise, sure gives me a fresh new look.

Our level of expectation is the level of our faith. If you show me a person with low expections, I will show you a person using very little faith. Show me a person with high expectations, I will show you a person with a lot of faith. We need to remember that we are talking about having our expectations in God. We need to trust in God to take care of us and everything that concerns us.

Our focus everyday should be on higher things. Left our eyes to those things that are Godly.
We will not be able to take earthly things with us, right? So why not focus those things that we CAN take with us.

This week I am choosing to surround myself with people that choose the light of God, that bring optimism. Choosing to find the good and the happy in every situation is hard, but it can be done. I believe that I need to raise the bar, raise my level of expectancy and choose to make the best of my life today.

Running miles on Sunday smiles. Thanks for reading friends. Do you have any ways that help you keep your expectations up?  I would love to hear them.

Categories
A Sunday Thought Circle L Ranch FaithFamilyRanching Integrity love

A Sunday Thought~Integrity

A Sunday Thought

A Sunday Thought~Integrity

Integrity is choosing Courage over Comfort; Choosing what is right over what is fun,

 fast, or easy; and choosing to practice our Values rather than simply professing them.
He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
Luke 16:10

This post has been brewing in my head for a couple weeks. It’s one of those post that is hard to write. Why? Because I fear of being judged or rejected, but after my dear friend Terryn I attended the Cultivate & Connect conference in Kansas City by Ag Chat, I decided that I am just going to say what is in thoughts.

This little word has so much in it.
I want to talk to you about it today.

The word is: Integrity!!

What does it mean?

“Integrity is doing right when no one is watching.”

God wants us to be people of integrity, people of honor, people who are trustworthy.

Can we rise to this or do we prefer to pretend we have integrity?

I started writing notes about Integrity and created a list of characteristics we need to have to assist us in our understanding of integrity.

Nonstop Personal Growth:
We need to be constantly in learning mode. We must be honest with ourselves, seek guidance to discover and work around our bad spots and always learning.

A promise is a promise: 
I don’t need to say anything else. We need to keep our promises.

Reliability: 
We need to be reliable leaders. We need to stick with problems and issues until they are resolved.

Accountability: 
Don’t just blame others and/or take the blame ourselves, we own the situation and all of its outcomes. Be accountable for our own actions.

Just do the right thing: 
Just do the right thing, at the right time and for all the right reasons.

Respectfulness: 
Respect is earned. It is done so by showing respect and an acceptance toward others. Respecting others means understanding different values and beliefs, recognizing, accepting and developing the skills of others. Respect also means communicating and interacting with those around us with empathy.

Accessibility: 
Be there!! That is all.

Transparency: 
Don’t be fake! Be clear and real.

What are you doing to lead with and strengthen the integrity of those around you?

This question is what I need to ask myself EVERY DAY. It is so important to share our story and help others see past the false fear that their integrity is only as strong as the secrets they keep.

It is my goal to do better. It is my goal to show integrity.

God will only trust us with more after we have been faithful with a little. Our lives are an open book before God and our lives should be an open book before those who are around us. God looks at our hearts and motives.

Running on Smiles and Love this Monday afternoon.
Categories
A Sunday Thought Circle L God Thoughts

A Sunday Thought~ What God Has Given Me

A Sunday Thought

A Sunday Thought~ What God Has Given Me

My thoughts this last week have been on this statement:
“Naomi, What has God given you?”
Wow, what a powerful statement, but a good one.
I thought about it, wrote a list and then studied them.  Here is my answer:
God has given me Light: 
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
Genesis 1:3 & 4
God has given me a Promise:
And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
Genesis 9: 12 & 13
God has given me Peace:
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Colossians 3:15
God has given my Fruit:
And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down unto us, and brought us word again, and said, It is a good land which the LORD our God doth give us.
Deuteronomy 1:25
God has given me a lot of Blessings:
And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
Deuteronomy 28:2
God has given me Love:
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:10
God has given me a Friend:
A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 17:17
God has given me a Way:
That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.
Jeremiah 42:3
God has given me an Example:
For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
John 13:15
God has given me a Book:
The Bible
I am sharing my thoughts so that you and I may enjoy them and be witnesses of His goodness to our world. The purpose of this is to help you and I, appreciate how much God loves and values us and our well-being. We all are are somebody greatly loved and valued by God.
A gift speaks of the thoughts of the giver about the recipient. Think about that.
A gift speaks of the thoughts of the giver about the recipient.
I want to use the knowledge of the giving nature of God to help me everyday. I also want to use the nature of the gift to re-evaluate my worth to God. This week and for the weeks ahead I am going to re-evaluate what God has given me and my hope is to see my faith get stronger and more productive.
I have one more thought:

It is important too, that when we receive a gift that we have the right attitude. So when God gives me a gift, I should receive it with a good attitude. The Bible says God takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servants. The process is as follows: know the free gifts, receive them by faith, have a thankful attitude and then enjoy them to the full.

Happy Monday, dear friends!! Going miles on Monday Smiles.
You know what friends, I would like to challenge you all.
If you like this post, would you mind sharing it.