Thursday, May 8, 2014
What does it mean to you to be "in a relationship"?
Break apart the word.. relationship...ship...you are in the ship with others...you depend on others to navigate.. to get somewhere...you have to help each other..can't get off.. you are committed to the journey.. relation.. an existing connection... relate .. to communicate in a way that both parties feel understood
Stay in the church. Stay in the ship. We may hit some rough waters but if we watch each other's back, we will be safe and make it to the other shore.
Remember, Jesus is there with us and if He needs to, He will calm the storm.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Perception Perception Perception Perception Perception Perception.....
It is all in the eye of the beholder!
A seeing eye dog "sees" for its' handler. Steering around obstacles and helping the owner avoid dangerous areas. The dog perceives because the owner cannot.
Wikipedia states that Perception is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the environment.
Those of us that wear glasses can identify with this illustration. You sit in the exam chair and the optometrist puts this machine in front of your face and you look through the holes as s/he flips the lenses. It changes your view, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. It is their job to try and help you see the world as sharply and clearly as possible.
Our senses teach us about our world. What we see, hear, feel, taste and touch. We build our beliefs based on the information flowing around us since the time we were formed in our mother's womb. Were you comfortable, secure, floating in your first world or were you bombarded with drugs, alcohol and adrenaline? Did your mother sing to you? Massage you? or did you experience shaking? physical pain? Many of us may not know the answer to this but that was the beginning of our first perception of the this thing called life.
We begin this life struggling to walk, feed ourselves and to learn to communicate with those around us. I believe that God knows us from the womb and I believe that environment can hinder or move us toward greatness. It is a great responsibility being a parent. We owe it to our children to be balanced Christians, loving, leading and teaching them to come into their own.
The Gospel is simple and Thank God it is. People's perception of what God meant has been twisting this message for too long.
Try an experiment. Next time someone you know starts to talk to you, make your mind blank (like a chalkboard) and imagine their words are being written on that chalkboard. Now look at the words and take them at face value.
God told us to repent.
God told us to be baptized in Jesus' Name.
God told us we will receive the Holy Ghost.
God told us to love one another.
God told us to live holy.
God told us to worship Him only.
Let's clear our mind. Reduce the pollution of this world. Let's see things clearly.
It is all in the eye of the beholder!
A seeing eye dog "sees" for its' handler. Steering around obstacles and helping the owner avoid dangerous areas. The dog perceives because the owner cannot.
Wikipedia states that Perception is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the environment.
Those of us that wear glasses can identify with this illustration. You sit in the exam chair and the optometrist puts this machine in front of your face and you look through the holes as s/he flips the lenses. It changes your view, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. It is their job to try and help you see the world as sharply and clearly as possible.
Our senses teach us about our world. What we see, hear, feel, taste and touch. We build our beliefs based on the information flowing around us since the time we were formed in our mother's womb. Were you comfortable, secure, floating in your first world or were you bombarded with drugs, alcohol and adrenaline? Did your mother sing to you? Massage you? or did you experience shaking? physical pain? Many of us may not know the answer to this but that was the beginning of our first perception of the this thing called life.
We begin this life struggling to walk, feed ourselves and to learn to communicate with those around us. I believe that God knows us from the womb and I believe that environment can hinder or move us toward greatness. It is a great responsibility being a parent. We owe it to our children to be balanced Christians, loving, leading and teaching them to come into their own.
The Gospel is simple and Thank God it is. People's perception of what God meant has been twisting this message for too long.
Try an experiment. Next time someone you know starts to talk to you, make your mind blank (like a chalkboard) and imagine their words are being written on that chalkboard. Now look at the words and take them at face value.
God told us to repent.
God told us to be baptized in Jesus' Name.
God told us we will receive the Holy Ghost.
God told us to love one another.
God told us to live holy.
God told us to worship Him only.
Let's clear our mind. Reduce the pollution of this world. Let's see things clearly.
Friday, April 20, 2012
It's ALL in HOW You Look at IT!
Read a quote from George Orwell "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
We live in America and have our freedoms because of the sacrifices through bloodshed of our men and women in battle. I may not agree with war but history has shown that when good men do nothing, evil will be unleashed.
Read a story about a General upset by the American Indian custom of making their wives walk behind them and he complained to the Indian Chief. Warriors, the Indian Chief explained, were going before their women to clear the path and make a way for them.
People make so many judgement calls based on what they see but with no understanding. Let's all take a breath and slow down long enough to open our eyes to see what is really happening.
Try an experiment. Imagine looking at a situation through someone else's eyes. This requires some intelligence and some empathy. Reading is an excellent source of insight into other lives. Become a researcher. Lay aside your past experiences. Look at things anew. It is all in how you look at it!
We live in America and have our freedoms because of the sacrifices through bloodshed of our men and women in battle. I may not agree with war but history has shown that when good men do nothing, evil will be unleashed.
Read a story about a General upset by the American Indian custom of making their wives walk behind them and he complained to the Indian Chief. Warriors, the Indian Chief explained, were going before their women to clear the path and make a way for them.
People make so many judgement calls based on what they see but with no understanding. Let's all take a breath and slow down long enough to open our eyes to see what is really happening.
Try an experiment. Imagine looking at a situation through someone else's eyes. This requires some intelligence and some empathy. Reading is an excellent source of insight into other lives. Become a researcher. Lay aside your past experiences. Look at things anew. It is all in how you look at it!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Is There A Child in The House?
Recently watched a short clip of a young man. He was goofing off, dancing and laughing. It was uplifting until one realized that he had died tragically a day after that video in a skiing accident. Watching him made me want to reach into the screen and grab his essence and retrieve the laughter and the boy that once was.
The body is only a house. The soul really is a separate entity. I could see it in the video. The childlike nature of this young man evidenced in his love of life jumping around telling the body to move to express his joy.
Jesus knocks on the door of the house. Is there anyone there? A child, perhaps,
that joyfully runs to see who is there. A child looks up with a smile and hope, that this stranger will fill a need in his/her life. Children are like that, selfish by nature but in a good way. Feed me, hold me, make me laugh, play with me, keep me warm, keep me safe. Intellect, education, life's experiences, background are all worthless when entering the Kingdom of God. We need to run to the door of heart and throw it open to the King of King and let Jesus enter in.
The body is only a house. The soul really is a separate entity. I could see it in the video. The childlike nature of this young man evidenced in his love of life jumping around telling the body to move to express his joy.
Jesus knocks on the door of the house. Is there anyone there? A child, perhaps,
that joyfully runs to see who is there. A child looks up with a smile and hope, that this stranger will fill a need in his/her life. Children are like that, selfish by nature but in a good way. Feed me, hold me, make me laugh, play with me, keep me warm, keep me safe. Intellect, education, life's experiences, background are all worthless when entering the Kingdom of God. We need to run to the door of heart and throw it open to the King of King and let Jesus enter in.
Hearing from God
Everybody wants to hear something from God! Look at the popularity of preachers that call out people and start reading their "mail". It is pretty simple.
1. Your circumstances may indicate God is trying to get your attention. Jonah finally quit complaining and started listening when he found himself in a dark, lonely and smelly place (whale).
2. Counsel - Listen to those in authority - Pastor, parents, trusted friends.
3. Peace Philipians 4:7 (one of my fav scriptures).. it is a feeling that everything is right in the world no matter what is happening. When my husband was away in Desert Storm (war in Kuwait) God put me in a God Bubble. Nothing bad could penetrate and I was on a Spiritual High! It was amazing.
4. Dreams and visions. Mathew 1:20. It took a dream to convince Joseph to marry Mary!
5. Thoughts are powerful and Amos 4:13 describes God speaking to man. 2Co 10:5 tells us what to do to protect our mind against thoughts of the enemy.
6. Natural Manifestations point to our Creator and as a Christian, one should study the science of creationism to understand the miracle that is all around us.
7. Supernatural manifestations are mentioned in the Bible (burning bush for Moses, Voices from Heaven, Angels appearing) and so we should see and expect them in our lives (receiving the Holy Ghost)
8. Bible Hebrews 4:12 describes the power behind the Word of God. Any true Christian can tell a story where he/she has opened their Bible and a scripture has spoken to their heart or their situation.
9. Whisper 1Kings 19:12 describes God speaking to Elijah in a still, small voice.
Sometimes one will be given a thought or hear a thought spoken as if they are thinking it but it is really from God. When acted upon, confirmation in the form of the result lets you know that it was truly from God. "Speak to that person" "Stop" "Wait" "Don't speak that" "Ask her to go to altar and pray" "Tell them your testimony" These are some examples that come to my mind when I have heard from God.
Finally, my wonderful readers, read Jeremiah 7:13 which is a warning to truly hear what the Lord is saying and respond to Him.
1. Your circumstances may indicate God is trying to get your attention. Jonah finally quit complaining and started listening when he found himself in a dark, lonely and smelly place (whale).
2. Counsel - Listen to those in authority - Pastor, parents, trusted friends.
3. Peace Philipians 4:7 (one of my fav scriptures).. it is a feeling that everything is right in the world no matter what is happening. When my husband was away in Desert Storm (war in Kuwait) God put me in a God Bubble. Nothing bad could penetrate and I was on a Spiritual High! It was amazing.
4. Dreams and visions. Mathew 1:20. It took a dream to convince Joseph to marry Mary!
5. Thoughts are powerful and Amos 4:13 describes God speaking to man. 2Co 10:5 tells us what to do to protect our mind against thoughts of the enemy.
6. Natural Manifestations point to our Creator and as a Christian, one should study the science of creationism to understand the miracle that is all around us.
7. Supernatural manifestations are mentioned in the Bible (burning bush for Moses, Voices from Heaven, Angels appearing) and so we should see and expect them in our lives (receiving the Holy Ghost)
8. Bible Hebrews 4:12 describes the power behind the Word of God. Any true Christian can tell a story where he/she has opened their Bible and a scripture has spoken to their heart or their situation.
9. Whisper 1Kings 19:12 describes God speaking to Elijah in a still, small voice.
Sometimes one will be given a thought or hear a thought spoken as if they are thinking it but it is really from God. When acted upon, confirmation in the form of the result lets you know that it was truly from God. "Speak to that person" "Stop" "Wait" "Don't speak that" "Ask her to go to altar and pray" "Tell them your testimony" These are some examples that come to my mind when I have heard from God.
Finally, my wonderful readers, read Jeremiah 7:13 which is a warning to truly hear what the Lord is saying and respond to Him.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Highlights from Rev.McNealy's Message
On target message 'do you want to be happy?" Sunday evening by Rev. McNealy. Just want to drop some quotes from his message that I thought were significant:
1. You will never change anything in your life that you tolerate. (if I can just change _____ then I will be happy.)
2. Center your life around good things. Life is like a sponge. It only soaks up what surrounds it. Life pressures will come. Pressures upon the sponge will squeeze out what has been put in.
3. Better to resolve marriage difficulties than to dissolve marriage vows.
4. Oops! I married the wrong one (person) instead of trying to be The One (for the other person).
This message left me with an image. Two bowls of water. One dirty and the other clean. Two sponges. Two lives. One lives clean and the other lives in sin. Life happens to both sponges, sickness, loss of jobs, no friends, treated unfairly, car breaks down....life looks bleak...both sponges are wrung dry. The comfort and peace the clean sponge felt kept him standing until he could dip back into that clean water and restore his spirit. The dirty sponge had no relief and all he could do was complain. The situaltion went from bad to horrible as he was plunged back into the dirty water.
I put my sponges through the dishwasher to sterilize and clean them. The power of repentance and the tears of joy are wonderful cleansers! Put your sponges in a Holy Ghost dishwasher and feel clean again.
1. You will never change anything in your life that you tolerate. (if I can just change _____ then I will be happy.)
2. Center your life around good things. Life is like a sponge. It only soaks up what surrounds it. Life pressures will come. Pressures upon the sponge will squeeze out what has been put in.
3. Better to resolve marriage difficulties than to dissolve marriage vows.
4. Oops! I married the wrong one (person) instead of trying to be The One (for the other person).
This message left me with an image. Two bowls of water. One dirty and the other clean. Two sponges. Two lives. One lives clean and the other lives in sin. Life happens to both sponges, sickness, loss of jobs, no friends, treated unfairly, car breaks down....life looks bleak...both sponges are wrung dry. The comfort and peace the clean sponge felt kept him standing until he could dip back into that clean water and restore his spirit. The dirty sponge had no relief and all he could do was complain. The situaltion went from bad to horrible as he was plunged back into the dirty water.
I put my sponges through the dishwasher to sterilize and clean them. The power of repentance and the tears of joy are wonderful cleansers! Put your sponges in a Holy Ghost dishwasher and feel clean again.
Monday, June 14, 2010
My Pledge
Today, no matter what comes my way, I know that I have planted my whole life in the garden of verses and my strength flows from the vine of the Word of God. Everything else we may fill our lives with is emptiness. The only truth that is worth holding onto is the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism in His Name (Jesus) and receiving the Holy Ghost and living a Holy life pleasing to Jesus.
My Pledge today is I will not be moved from the side of my Savior. My pledge is my whole heart belongs to the Lord. My pledge is I will remain faithful the rest of my life. My desire is to see the Lord and to see my fruit. I trust the Lord and I believe He will be faithful for my children's sake. My children have been gifts from God and I have returned them to Him many times, over and over again.
My Pledge today is I will not be moved from the side of my Savior. My pledge is my whole heart belongs to the Lord. My pledge is I will remain faithful the rest of my life. My desire is to see the Lord and to see my fruit. I trust the Lord and I believe He will be faithful for my children's sake. My children have been gifts from God and I have returned them to Him many times, over and over again.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
