Tag: attitude

Miserable by Choice

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“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

There once was a miserable lady, who lived in a cottage near the edge of the forest.

She lived by herself and had grown to an old age.

Her many belongings gave her comfort since her relationships were complicated.

Her loneliness was compounded by her attitude as she continued to blame everyone and everything for her misery.

Everyone except herself.

Looking back, she had lived a good life.

She was accomplished, pretty, and comfortable.

On the outside she was the picture of health.

But she was deathly afraid.

Afraid of what, you may ask?

Letting go. Forgiveness. Not being in control.

Surrendering and accepting life.

And change.

To protect herself, she lashed out and declared herself “Mrs. Always Right.”

Her loved ones and friends never spent much time with her, because her bitterness was easily spread.

Her cottage was nestled on the edge of the great forest.

It was so beautiful – once.

Her memory smiled as she recalled all the beautiful years spent in the forest.

Simply lovely.

But her frown would always return and stay firmly planted on her face when she recalled the devastating fire that had swept through her precious forest.

Everything had burned down.

All the trees, flowers, and life.

The forest was like that for years.

Too long, actually.

And when things look bad for years, it’s easy to forget the beauty.

One day, the forest began to regrow.

New life had sprung all over the place.

Months went by and suddenly the forest was beautiful again.

Stunning, actually.

Radiant.

But she could not see it.

When the lady looked at her beloved forest, all she could see was destruction.

She could not see all the beauty.

Her bitterness had changed her forever.

Her eyesight would not allow her to see the goodness.

She refused to acknowledge her new beautiful surroundings, choosing instead to remember the fire and how her forest once had been.

Are you blind, too? Miserable by choice?

Do you only see what once was, refusing to recognize God’s new blessings in your life?

Allow God to enter, letting His new blessings flood your heart with promise and thankfulness.

There is no need to be miserable by choice.

Choose instead to be thankful as God will never leave your side.

His new plans will be great. God says so.

Photos by Chastagner Thierry, Gustav Gullstrand,  kazuend, & Bruce Hong on Unsplash

Christmas Crazy

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You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3

What is Christmas?

What is your initial reaction to the word?

Pressure? Joy? Anticipation?

I’m guessing you feel all three.

I’ve always LOVED Christmas, but my word.

Pressure to shop, wrap, and mail the perfect gifts.

Pressure to plan and host multiple large Christmas dinners.

Pressure to keep up traditions like making grandma’s cookies, gather everyone for Christmas Eve church, and find festive holiday wear.

And don’t forget that family photo. Or scheduling everything when kids have very busy schedules.

Ugh.

It’s too much, isn’t it?

Where did this all come from?

All the pressure to perform.

Pleasing people instead of pleasing God.

Christmas plans are not all bad.

In fact, they’re mostly amazing. They’re purposeful. Full of future memories.

Activities, presents, baking, and creating memories are not what’s bad.

Those things become sour when you remove your focus from God to the season’s needs instead.

When you shift your focus from the baby in the manger to the gifts under the tree. Or the lack of gifts under the tree.

If you recognize that sour feeling start to bubble up, it’s time to prioritize your super long and detailed list.

Start by asking God what He wants for you this Christmas.

Think about your gift list, but don’t obsess.

Bake some cookies, but sneak some in from a friend or, gasp, a mix.

Embrace your new holiday meal of lovingly baked premade lasagna or chili from the crockpot.

Do you even remember each gift from your childhood?

Nope. Your kids won’t either.

Memories are created when surrounded by love and family.

If you focus too hard on making everything perfect, the memories might be soured by your attitude. Or lack of joy.

Christmas is a time for joy.

Joy for our Savior’s precious birth.

And joy from our precious families.

When Jesus was born, all he had was his family.

We don’t need all the stuff in order to make Christmas memorable.

All we need is family and Joy to the World the Lord has come.

Really ponder what God has done for us by sending Jesus into our world.

Nothing else even matters.

Photos by David Beale, Dan Kiefer, Josh Boot, & Bruno Martins on Unsplash

That Sneaking Feeling

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But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 14:26

You know that feeling?

The one that says you should do something?

That nagging suspicion you should comply with?

If it’s for any sort of reconciliation or compliance with God’s way for you, that’s the Holy Spirit.

He’s whispering to you what you know you should do.

So do you do it?

Why not?

Pride.

Wanting to satisfy your pitiful flesh instead of humbling yourself.

Very tempting, I know.

It’s our natural tendency to feed our flesh instead of what God wants us to do.

Conflict within ourselves is when there’s a choice: our flesh or God.

Helps to remember a couple things.

First, life is so temporary.

The moments we have are fleeting and will never return.

Should we make those moments count, bettering our future?

Or fill the moments with ourself on the throne, never getting those wasted moments back?

And second, as God sees us behaving, what do you want to show Him?

An ungrateful attitude or someone who is learning to put others first?

Do you want to grieve the heart of God or help Him smile?

You could also flip that.

Do you want your actions to cause a win for the Enemy or make it even harder for him to have you?

That little small voice deep inside our head is the Holy Spirit.

He’s there, helping you know exactly what next to do.

The questions is, will you?

Will you listen or keep ignoring Him?

Photos by Luca Zanon, 青 晨, Robert V. Ruggiero, & Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

Yielding Ourselves

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Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Ephesians 6:10

Ever tried to stop doing something you know you shouldn’t?

Could be eating too much sugar, drowning your sorrows in alcohol, or spending way too much time scrolling through your phone.

Could even be your attitude or reaction when things don’t go your way.

Or choosing to listen only to yourself instead of others.

All of it points to placing, you guessed it – yourself on the throne instead of God, the One who created you and all things.

Yielding to Jesus will break every form of slavery in our human lives.

Food, exercise, exhaustion, perfection, fear, anxiety, or pride.

Anything placed before Jesus can become a form of slavery as we feed that characteristic within ourselves instead of feeding our relationship with Jesus.

Some of those things are super great, like exercise or eating healthy.

But if that desire replaces your desire for God, then that desire has become a god to you, probably rooted in fear if you don’t perform exactly right.

We can only find victory over ourselves through Jesus.

Through Jesus’ peace and strength.

Love this poem from Amy Carmichael, a missionary to India in the early 1900’s:

Before the winds that blow decrease, teach me to dwell within Thy calm; before the pain passed in peace, give me, my God, to sing a psalm. Let me not lose the chance to prove the fullness of enabling love. O love of God, do this for me; maintain a constant victory.

Don’t you just love that phrase: maintain a constant victory.

A plea for God to not only win in our lives, but to keep winning.

Only happens when we yield ourselves over to God, who is infinately more capable than our sinful selves.

Lord, give us a portion of your sweet spirit, spilling out your life and love to others.

As life consumes us, help us to place You on the throne of our heart, wanting only what You want for us.

With You, we will have constant victory, even if we don’t see it.

Because You have already won. You are our constant victory.

Photos by Joshua Earle, Pablo Heimplatz, Guillaume de Germain, & Patrick Fore on Unsplash

Seeking

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You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all of your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

What are you seeking after?

What would you give your life for?

What if this happiness costs you something.

Would it be worth it, whatever this is you seek?

Temporary pain for the greater good comes to mind.

Further college education classes last only a few months.

Haha, or years, but the reward is usually a better job and more money.

Exercise takes a few minutes each day with the gain of health.

Planning the holidays creates work but memories for years to come.

What are you seeking after at the cost of your happiness?

The position of self?

To be “right”?

An attitude, perhaps?

Is it worth it?

Been studying Augustine lately for a class.

Yes, the one from the 4th century.

His ultimate goal of education was the pursuit of happiness and peace of God.

He longed to hear God’s voice.

What if your goals were replaced with these?

The pursuit of God’s love and peace.

Is your pursuit creating peace in your soul?

Are you seeking after God to be your everything?

We were never meant to live alone.

Created for love, we were meant to live in community.

Community that ministers to us in the valleys and celebrates us in the hills.

Who do you answer to every day?

Your sweet self?

Or God?

Oh God, make us more like You.

Create in us a clean heart, seeking You with all that we are and listening for Your voice to direct our paths.

Photos by Oscar Helgstrand on Unsplash

So Over It

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Going out on a limb and stating my opinion.

Last time I checked, it was still a free country.

But it doesn’t seem like that anymore.

Sigh.

Attitude.

Specifically, my attitude.

I am in such a bad mood about our world.

If I even hear the word social distancing….

Don’t get me started about wearing a mask.

They are so hot and awful.

Went to Costco today donning my mask.

So weird to walk around and see EVERYONE in a mask.

I’m living on a movie set, but instead it’s real life.

I’d totally be on board with ALL of it, every restriction if I truly thought it would help.

If I thought it was really necessary.

But after reading so much over the past few weeks, it doesn’t add up.

It just doesn’t.

First, projections of death upwards of 240,000 were announced if we didn’t stay home.

We stayed home.

Of course.

Who wouldn’t with death predicted like that?!

As a result, we “flattened the curve”.

Ok.

Now what?

Did it work?

Yes, but now we’re told those original numbers were wrong.

Like way wrong.

No one knows what would have happened if we had ignored those first numbers and only stayed home if we were ill.

Or old or vulnerable.

Instead, we all obeyed and exponentially more lives have been drastically affected through staying home then death.

Our economy is now shot.

Kids are behind in school.

Parents are at their absolute wits end.

Small businesses are literally dying.

Family livelihoods have disappeared.

Mental depression is rising.

So is abuse of children.

Rights of Americans are ignored.

Fundamental rights.

And most of America is still acting like we need to stay home.

If science backed it up,

If common sense was used,

If all leaders would put the people first,

I’d feel better.

That brings me back to my attitude.

I really hate doing things I don’t think necessary.

I don’t do well just going along with the crowd if the crowd is blindly following the world.

I think people mean well.

Hopefully.

I always assume so anyway.

I guess my rant is over.

Pray for our leaders.

Pray for those affected physically, mentally, and financially.

And pray for our attitudes. 🙂

I want to go to church.

I want to try on clothing at Target.

I want to return groceries I deem not edible at the store.

I want to teach my students in my own classroom.

And I would like to shop without a mask.

I promise to stay home if I feel sick.

Ok?

Oh, and my husband really needs a haircut.

Photos by Tai’s Captures, Glen Carrie, BRUNO CERVERA, Matt Seymour, Hello I’m Nik 🎞 , & Tobias Rehbein on Unsplash

Choose Life

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Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

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Live like you mean it.

Like it matters.

Every task God asks us to do is ordained by Him.

Is washing the dishes holy?

Yes, if you wash them for Him.

How bout taking your daughter to volleyball practice or fixing the hole in your son’s school pants?

Yes.

What about driving a truck or teaching children?

When God gives you responsibilities, you can either do them half-heartedly because you have to…

Or you can joyfully tackle them, knowing they are a precious offering to God.

Make those mundane tasks a sweet smelling sacrifice to God.

Change your attitude to joy.

Purpose to choose life.

You’ll be surprised how fun these tasks suddenly become.

Not all the time, of course, because we’re human.

We forget.

Daily tasks overwhelm us and we are suddenly annoyed our children are involved in any extracurricular activities whatsoever.

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Pause and ask God to order your day.

Ask Him to involve your family in what He wants you to be involved in.

Once you have peace in your heart with the duties on your plate, offer that service as an offering to God.

Holiness.

Surrender.

Your heart will be peaceful and your soul will be at rest.

God will work through you and bless your family.

If you choose irritation instead, your spirit will be troubled and that will spill into the other people in your life.

Choose life.

Not only will God will be pleased, but your spirit will be at rest, and your home will be full of peace and joy.

A beacon to the weary, even if that weary soul is you.

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Always Right

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Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips. Proverbs 27:2

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Is this your attitude?

That you feel you are always right?

100% of the time?

Or most of the time?

I recently stopped at a red light near a major intersection in my town.

The turning lights began directing traffic to turn, and the van beside me also began to drive straight.

Avoiding a crash, it suddenly stopped.

The van’s license plate screamed out to me: Alwys Rit

Wow.

Guess not!

Sometimes life is this obvious to others as to our misinformation.

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Other times, it’s not.

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Whether we are right or wrong.

The key is humbleness.

Knowing our place before our God.

The van?

When the light turned green for us to drive forward, it just sat.

The driver was completely embarrassed.

Thankfully with God, we can ask Him for mercy when we mistake our desires as correct over His.

And with others too, we can seek forgiveness.

No one is perfect, and we are certainly not always right.

Recognize when you are not.

Confess your sorrow to others when you mess up, thinking you’re all that.

And sink deeply into the grace God offers each and every day.

Isn’t it nice not have to be always right?

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Anticipation or Expectation

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The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish. Proverbs 10:28

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Life is full of promise.

Possibilities are brimming at every turn.

Are you cheerfully anticipating God to work in your life, delivering His plan for your days?

Or are you planning things yourself and expecting God to work your plan?

One surrenders, the other demands.

Works in other relationships too, not just under God.

How bout your spouse?

Are you cheerfully anticipating love or blessings whenever they happily fall into your lap, or do you have impossibly high expectations your spouse will continually fail to reach?

Do you expect your spouse to celebrate you in a certain way, or do you allow them the freedom to bless you from their heart in their own way?

How much do you expect your girlfriends to do for you?

Or do you have the attitude of cheerful anticipation void of your measure?

As parents, we must have certain behavior expectations of our children.

That’s our called and sacred duty.

But speaking of giving love, children are notoriously low on the giving scale as they creep up in years.

Are you cheerfully anticipating their love in their time, or do you hold them to high expectations certain to fail your standards of showing love?

There’s a big difference.

It’s grace vs legalism.

Unselfish vs selfish.

Peace vs strife.

When we hold God, our loved ones, our friends, or anything in our life to our own expectation, we will be disappointed.

Guaranteed.

100%

But if we allow God to bless us when we least expect it, our hearts will brim over with joy.

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I remember praying about my birthday a few years back.

It was the first one as a “divorced” woman.

I prayed to have zero expectations, to be pleasantly surprised with each little detail God provided.

The first child to greet me at school loudly proclaimed, “Happy Birthday!”

Then she ran over for a hug.

I walked into my classroom and the sweetest boy began serenading me, personally singing the entire Happy Birthday song in his precious soft voice.

Be cheerfully expectant.

Anticipatorious as my father would say.

Your days will be peaceful, your heart will be filled with love, and your mind will stay at rest.

And your relationships will thrive.

Ahhh, now that’s the life.

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