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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
We need to be grateful for all we have and we need to offer our thanks to him everyday.
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.
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.
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.
The next time we have negative thoughts, let’s try this: ignore them.
Ignore the negative and accept the positive.
Dwell on the good and forget the bad.
Let’s let our stream flow in God’s direction.
There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. Psalms 46:4
Let’s be Real.
Let’s talk about something that may be eroding our stream.
What I am talking about is our negative thoughts.
What I am talking about is our negative patterns.
My thoughts this week have been positive and negative. I made a goal to turn all my negative thoughts into a positive thought. I also prayed that God would help me with my negative thoughts.
Ever had a week or a day, that just didn’t flow. I know I have them quite frequently, but this week I am going to focus on redirecting my stream. I would like you to join me.
You see, with every negative thought we have, every pessimistic thought, our stream gets deeper and our current gets stronger.
What causes these negative thoughts, that causes our stream to get deeper and the current to get stronger?
Anxiety, Fear, Doubt, Stress, Tired, Frustration, Anger, Discontent, Dwelling on the Negative just to name a few.
Fortunately, we have control over our stream. We have control of the current of our stream. We can actually build a new stream.
Let’s be Real.
When we spend our days dwelling on God’s words, and we start seeing the best in all our situations, one thought at a time, we can redirect our stream and control the current.
Here’s my thoughts:
It is normal to have negative thoughts. Everyday we have some type of negative thoughts and its OK. The key is how we handle the negative thoughts.
We don’t need to believe in our negative thoughts. Our minds would like us to believe that all of our thoughts are correct.
Our minds and body are not the same. The truth is our minds are just one part of us; it isn’t the whole US. Being able to separate our thoughts from our sense of self is one of the most useful things we can do.
Think of yourself as being made up of four parts.
Mind
Physical body
Heart
Spiritual aspect
This means: You. Are. Not Your. Mind. Your mind is just a tool for you to use. We have control over our thoughts. We have control over how we react to those thoughts and we have control over our Stream.
Let’s be Real.
The next time we have negative thoughts, let’s try this: ignore them.
Ignore the negative and accept the positive.
Dwell on the good and forget the bad.
Let’s let our stream flow in God’s direction.
A Sunday Thought from the Circle L ~ Our Battle Field
Everyday we need to bow our heads, get to our knees and ask God to help us with our mind war.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Isiah 26:3
Do you believe this?
We are fighting a war everyday.
Whether or not you are aware of it, we have a war raging all around us, and we have a battle for our minds. Our enemy’s target happens to be our thoughts. Our enemy wants to control how we think, because when he has our minds, he can control our entire lives.
So how do we know when the enemy is close?
Our enemy is very patient. He will wait until we least expect him. He loves control. He loves to put negative thoughts in our minds. This is how the enemy talks to us:
You see we can WIN our War. We have God on our side, and all we need to do is let him fight the fight for us. Prayer and positive thoughts will strengthen our force.
I am going to leave you with these thoughts:
The enemy of ours is not after our money or our stuff. All he really wants is our minds, our attitudes, our hearts, our faith and our peace. He wants the things we can not see. He wants to battle for it. Our mind will always believe everything we tell it. This week I want to win the battle and I want you to win as well. Let’s feed our mind with faith, feed it with peace, and feed it with love.
Matthew 12: 37 says…by your words you will be justified…., and
by your words you will be condemned….In other words, the way we talk
and think about ourselves reveals how we feel about ourselves.
I make mistakes, I compare myself to others, and I sometimes
want to “Fit” into someone else’s mold. I am asking God to help me
“Fit” into my own mold.
But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
For every man shall bear his own burden.
Galatians 6:4-5
My thoughts this past week have been on pretending.
Pretending that I need to “fit” into someone else’s mold.
Have you ever felt like this?
Ever feel like someone is trying to “fit” into your mold?
Hear me out; We don’t fit into somebody else’s mold; and other people don’t fit into our mold as. So we should all stop trying. God likes us all. He wants me to be the best Naomi can be, not aspire to be like somebody else.
I talked to a friend last week about this topic and she had some really good advice; “Just be yourself!” It hit me on the head like a hammer on a nail. What God wants us to be is ourselves.
After my chat with my friend, my attitude changed and my thoughts were redirected. I dared myself to be happy. Happiness comes to us by accepting ourselves (the opposite of being insecure). Many social, physical, and emotional problems stem from the fact that we aren’t happy ourselves (insecure), and so we try to “fit” into someones else’s mold. Our thoughts are negative. We are always comparing ourselves and wishing we were different. Ever feel this way?
I won’t lie, that is how I was last week. I was pretending. I wanted to “fit” into someone else’s mold. After I hit my head with the hammer, I rethought my approach. I was created to be ME. God made us all different for a reason. He has a goal for each of us. We need to be a God-pleaser, not a man-pleaser. This week I am going to work on my own mold. I am going to be happy. And my new attitude is this:
I am confident in who I am. I’m not going to go around pretending, wishing I were something else, trying to fit into somebody’s else’s mold. I am going to be happy myself and leave out the negative. I want to have courage to “Fit” into my own mold.
A Sunday Thought from the Circle L~ Home is Where Your Heart Is.
“Home is Where Your Heart Is.”
When we build our house upon him,
the storms may come, but we will not fall.
Therefore whosever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these saying of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish
man, which built his house upon the sand:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. Matthew 7:24-27
As you may or may not know, I spent 3 full days last week being a sponsor for our local FFA chapter at the Nebraska State FFA Convention. The state FFA convention is one of my favorite places to go. Our days were filled with Ag related competitions and sessions that contain motivational speakers, awards, and sponsor speakers.
One of the speakers asked “Are you building your home on a solid foundation?” She went on to tell us that “Home is Where the Heart is” and that we need to help others build their homes and then we need to help protect them.
Wow! This really got me thinking. I am familiar with the verses in Matthew and Luke that talk about building on the sand and upon a rock. After that speaker, when I had a little quiet time, I reread those verses. These are my thoughts:
In order to have a home we have to build one on a rock. We have to have a solid foundation before we can start. Our foundation needs to have solid footings.
How do we do that?
Praying and seeking God’s guidance.
Satan tries to get us to build on the sand. He knows that the sand is not stable, and that if a storm comes along, our home will wreck. He wants the satisfaction of seeing us struggle. I don’t know about you, but I want my Home on a rock.
“Home is Where Your Heart Is.”
Think about that statement.
Home is where you feel comfortable, protection, warmth, love and care. This week I would like to work on my Home, I want to help you with your Home, and then I want to help protective what we have built. “Home is Where Your Heart Is.”
Build it Strong. If we would tear down our own home, what would be left? Would the walls be to strong to fall? Would all we have left be earthly things? I want to have my walls strong enough so I don’t have to worry about my earthly things. I want to be a better person by helping those around me. “Home is Where Your Heart Is.”
Jesus is our rock. He is our firm foundation. If we listen for His voice, we all can be assured that no matter what comes our way, no matter how bad the storms of life may get, our Home will never move. That to me is a comforting fact.
Happy Monday, Friends.
Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great. Luke 6:47-49
We are all invited to dine with God.
From now till eternity.
All we must do is join him at His Banquet.
O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Psalms 34:8
Today I want to talk to you about going to a special banquet.
It is a FREE event.
I want you all to join me. Many of us go through life with a weak-worn-out mentality. Let me give you an example.“Well, I can’t do it; I don’t have what it takes.” “Well, I don’t know how you do everything you do. I struggle with what I’ve got.” “Well, I can’t do that.” “I am too tired.” “I’ll never be that good.”
If you have ever said that, then you are conforming yourself to that weak-worn-out mentality. I know that I have found myself saying those above statements. Those weak-worn-out mentality statements allow ourselves to be full of fear, worry, doubt and anxiety and those statements will make us surrender to a weak-worn-out mentality.
It is in those times that we have a free ticket to God’s banquet. It is time to step up to God’s dinner table and take part of His feast. You see, God has prepared for us to attend. You know what he has prepared for all of us?
Joy
Forgiveness
Peace
Healing
Restoration
Love
God has prepared a special place for you and for me with everything that we need for a life that is full of potential. Will you pull up your chair and take the place He has prepared for us?
When we choose to attend His banquet, we will have statements that sound like this: “I can do it and I have what it takes.” “I can do everything because I have God on my side.”
“I am well rested and ready for anything.” “I am good enough.”
You ticket is already paid for.
Will you join me at His banquet? Happy Monday, dear friends.
