Me, Myself and Lies

I am still recovering from surgery and just sitting around the house,  We are on week three now going on week four starting tomorrow.

I have had this book on my shelf for who knows how long. But today as I was scanning the shelves for something to read or do...it jump off the shelf.  Not sure if it is because it is a nice red color, the title or if it was the words that literally jumped of the pages at me as I started to read.

The title of the book is "Me, Myself and Lies" ...subtitle..."Thought Closet Make-over"...
written by Jennifer Rothschild. 

It is about our "thought life" and what we tell ourselves and how we respond.

As I opened the book and began to read...here is what i saw...

What is in your thought closet? 
Words: Spoken or Unspoken have power.
God used words to create. He "spoke" things into being.
Our words have influence.  God's words have power.
Our words don't create or destroy, but they do promote life as they build up or death as they tear down.
Don't asume that only spoken words bring life or death. The unspoken or silent words we speak to ourselves are just as important.

Matthew 12:34 says "From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."

Your heart and mind are like containers or treasure chests.  They are full of words many of which you have spoken to yourself over the years.  We use all sorts of words to express who we are.  These words in our treasure chest (containers) consist of roles, personality traits, opinions, emotions, physical traits and even spiritual conditions.

If you could think of your heart and mind as a treasure chest full of words-- what would you find there?  Most of them begin with "I am".  I am wife, mother, friend, secure, insecure, happy, sad, depressed, bored...etc

The words that are in our hearts and minds are the words we use to describe ourselves.  Are you overflowing with words of truth, kindness, and hope?  Or does your treasure chest need some major editing?

The enemy of your soul would love to stifle you with self-condemnation, lies and ill-fitting words so your thoughts become a jumbled mess that controls you.

As you go through the rest of the day, think about what you are thinking.

Is it positive and uplifitng or is it negative and bringing you down?

Think positive...Look up... and start with one thought at a time and change it.

God made you and He love you. He will help you clean up those thought closets.

I have found that at different times in our lives and during the different seasons we find ourselves, we have a different group of words we use. Sometime we are positive in our thoughts and sometimes we are negative. When we find ourself being negative in our thoughts that is when we are to take those thoughts captive and turn them into positive ones.

God is Good All The Time!

Today is Day 9 of Post-Surgery for me. I had some major surgery on the 26th of July.  I spent the first three days in the hospital and the past 6 at home.  The surgery requires a minimum of 4--6 weeks of recovery.  Then return to your normal schedule S-L-O-W-L-Y....   So I have taken the month of August off from work. 

Today as I continue my  r-e-c-o-v-e-r-y.  The daily routine of sleep, eat, walk (only a little bit), sleep, eat, laze around, eat, walk, lay around some more...you get the idea. 

Well, I was feeling a little weary of all of it.  So I picked up a daily devotional book....

Today's devotion was just for me.

HOLD MY HAND, and walk joyously through the day. Together we will savor the pleasures and endure the difficulties it may bring.  Be on the look-out for everything I have prepared for you:  stunning scenery, bracing winds of adventure, cozy nooks for resting when you are weary and so much more.  I am your Guide, as well as your constant Companion.  I know every step of your journey that is ahead of you, all the way to Heaven.

You don't have to choose between staying close to me and staying on course.  Since I am the Way, staying close to Me IS staying on course.  As you focus your thoughts on me and all I have provided for you, I will guide you carefully along today's journey.

Don't worry about what is around the next bend. Just concentrate on enjoying My Presence and staying in step with Me.

WOW!  As I recover slowly (joyously) I will take the time to continually be thankful for all He has provided for me.   My wonderful "Knight" that is taking such great care of me, A/C, books, beautiful scenery (as I walk), food, cozy nooks for that much needed rest, cozy pajamas for these lazy days, and so much more that I couldnt begin to list.

Love to all of you my blogger friends.

God is good all the time. He knows just what we need when we need it!!!

Trust in the Lord

This is the devotion I read today in a book called "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young

Trust Me, and do not be afraid. Many things feel out of your control. Your routines are not running as smoothly as you would like. You tend to feel more secure when things are predictable. Let me lead you to the rock that is higher than your circumstances. Take refuge in the shelter of my wings, where you will be absolutely secure.

When you are shaken out of your comfortable routines, grip My hand tightly and look for growth opportunities. Instead of bemoaning and complaining about the loss of your comfort, accept the challenge of something new. I lead you on from glory to glory, making you fit for My kingdom.

Say yes to the ways I work in your life. Trust me and do not be afraid.

Isaiah 12:2 2 (New Living Translation) See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.”
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THE CUP THAT OVERFLOWS

Each of us is a vessel, a container --in other words, a cup.

Life teaches us that what any person has to contribute, what we can give away to others, is the overflow from his or her cup.

The challenge each of us faces in this life is to fill our cup “full”-to-overflowing.

This is done through daily renewal of our spiritual life. We can renew our spirit in many different ways such as: bible reading, praying, devotions, praise and worship and many more.

I cannot serve others (--share my "overflow") when my own cup is low or drained.

So that I may be a contributing person to my family and friends and community, I must make the effort to continually fill my cup.

Prayer: Lord help me today and everyday to continually fill my cup so that I may be a blessing to those around me. Help me to keep my cup full so that I will have something to offer when needed. Help me to NOT let my cup go empty... Amen.

We live in such a needy world. People are hurting, struggling, looking and just waiting. Sometimes just an encouraging word can make the difference in someone else’s life. Do not assume that just because they are wearing a big smile on their face that everything is o.k. Sometime behind that smile is a hurting person just looking for that encouragement, that hug, that love.

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Enjoy!

Emergency Bible Numbers

Sorry this is such a long post. But it is a great devotion. And GREAT scriptures to remember.
Please take the time to read...
At least pick one or two topics....
You will leave encouraged...

EMERGENCY BIBLE NUMBERS

- When you are sad, call on John 14 : 1-4 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

- When you don’t feel loved, call on Romans 8:38-39 Yes, I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

- When you have sinned, call on 1 John 1:8-9 If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us.9 But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done.

- When you are facing danger, call on Psalm 91 Those who go to God Most High for safety will be protected by the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, "You are my place of safety and protection. You are my God and I trust you." God will save you from hidden traps and from deadly diseases. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you can hide. His truth will be your shield and protection. You will not fear any danger by night or an arrow during the day. You will not be afraid of diseases that come in the dark or sickness that strikes at noon. At your side one thousand people may die or even ten thousand right beside you, but you will not be hurt. You will only watch and see the wicked punished. The Lord is your protection; you have made God Most High your place of safety. Nothing bad will happen to you; no disaster will come to your home. He has put his angels in charge of you to watch over you wherever you go. They will catch you in their hands so that you will not hit your foot on a rock. You will walk on lions and cobras; you will step on strong lions and snakes. The Lord says, "Whoever loves me, I will save. I will protect those who know me. They will call to me, and I will answer them. I will be with them in trouble; I will rescue them and honor them. I will give them a long, full life,

- When people have failed you, call on Psalm 27:1-3 The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.

- When God feel far from you, call on Psalm 139 :1-6 LORD, you have examined me and know all about me. You know when I sit down and when I get up. You know my thoughts before I think them. You know where I go and where I lie down. You know everything I do. LORD, even before I say a word, you already know it. You are all around me—in front and in back—and have put your hand on me. Your knowledge is amazing to me; it is more than I can understand.

- When your faith needs encouraging, call on Hebrews 11 :1-2 Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it. Faith is the reason we remember great people who lived in the past. It is by faith we understand that the whole world was made by God's command so what we see was made by something that cannot be seen.

- When you are scared, call on Psalm 23 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

- When you are worried, call on Matthew 6:25-34 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

- When you are hurt, call on Colossians 3:12-17 God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So you should always clothe yourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other, and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you. Even more than all this, clothe yourself in love. Love is what holds you all together in perfect unity. Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking, because you were all called together in one body to have peace. Always be thankful. Let the teaching of Christ live in you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and instruct each other by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Everything you do or say should be done to obey Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.

- When you feel no one is on your side, call on Romans 8:31-39 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

- When you are seeking rest, call on Matthew 11:25-30 At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way! “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

- When you are suffering, call on Romans 8:18-21 The sufferings we have now are nothing compared to the great glory that will be shown to us. Everything God made is waiting with excitement for God to show his children's glory completely. Everything God made was changed to become useless, not by its own wish but because God wanted it and because all along there was this hope: that everything God made would be set free from ruin to have the freedom and glory that belong to God's children.

- When you feel you’re failing, call on Psalm 121 I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.

- When you pray, call on Matthew 6:9-13 Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

- When you are in need, call on Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

- When you are losing hope, call on 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father encourage you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. God loved us, and through his grace he gave us a good hope and encouragement that continues forever.

- When you are seeking peace, call on John 14:27 I leave you peace; my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world does. So don't let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

- When you want to live a happy life, call on Colossians 3:12-17 God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So you should always clothe yourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other, and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you. Even more than all this, clothe yourself in love. Love is what holds you all together in perfect unity. Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking, because you were all called together in one body to have peace. Always be thankful. Let the teaching of Christ live in you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and instruct each other by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Everything you do or say should be done to obey Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.

- When you don’t understand what God is doing, call on Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

- When you want to get along with others, call on Romans 12:9-21 Your love must be real. Hate what is evil, and hold on to what is good. Love each other like brothers and sisters. Give each other more honor than you want for yourselves. Do not be lazy but work hard, serving the Lord with all your heart. Be joyful because you have hope. Be patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times. Share with God's people who need help. Bring strangers in need into your homes. Wish good for those who harm you; wish them well and do not curse them. Be happy with those who are happy, and be sad with those who are sad. Live in peace with each other. Do not be proud, but make friends with those who seem unimportant. Do not think how smart you are. If someone does wrong to you, do not pay him back by doing wrong to him. Try to do what everyone thinks is right. Do your best to live in peace with everyone. My friends, do not try to punish others when they wrong you, but wait for God to punish them with his anger. It is written: "I will punish those who do wrong; I will repay them," says the Lord.
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Enjoy!!!

Masks, Masks, and More Masks

As I sit here tonight I am thinking of all the different masks that we all wear.

Observations of masks:

1. They are uncomfortable

2. They force us to stay on our toes and constantly be on guard

3. It is extremely lonely behind the mask

4. Masks force us to keep our distance from others

5. They prevent us from having meaningful relationships

6. We are the only one that is fooled by our mask not anyone else

7. God doesn't even see the mask, his eyes pierce right through to the heart

We all wear different ones at different times. At times we all hide behind our masks.

Depending on the occasion, our circumstances, our mood, etc... we throw on a mask to fit our need at that moment. We are afraid to let people see the "real" person we are.

At work, we may wear the mask of authority or power to appear in control.

At home, we may wear the mask of contentment, one that portrays that everythig is ok.

At church, we may wear the self-righteous "I have this God stuff in my life all together".

On and on we go, shuffling on and off from situation to situation, until one day our mask fails us. No matter how good we are at the game, the mask becomes worn and develops cracks in it. And people begin to see the "real" person through the cracks. People sometimes reach out to help us when they begin to SEE what is going on with us . But we pull out the biggest mask of all..the mask of "pride" and this mask does not allow anyone inside.

All masks eventually become a prison that we live in. A prison that we have built up in our mind, built by our own actions, built by losing our "real" self along the way.

It is time that we all remove our masks, and pour our hearts "our REAL hearts" out to God and cast those masks on Him. And find someone...a true friend that we can be accountable to and share our short comings with. Let that true friend inside your walls and masks to help lift you up. It takes a long time to build those masks so it will take time to tear them down also.

Ecclesiates 4:10 (NIV) If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him.

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Enjoy!!

Behavior

James 2:17 (NLT) So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all--it is dead and useless.

Faith without works is belief without hands or feet to live it out. Works without faith are hands and feet without divine guidance. Together God's truth and our consecrated hands and feet and lips are a dynamic combination that can change the world fro Him.

No matter how much we testify to the gospel, it rings hollow unless we demonstrate that it has changed our lives. Unless our thoughts and actions are in harmony with our words, our speech will be meaningless to those who hear it. Anyone can talk about truth, but only people who are truly redeemed can walk in truth. Our witness is incomplete if it is only expressed by our talk; both need to be present and need to confirm to one another.

In what ways can our lifestyle more effectively demonstrate what you believe about God?
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Actions speak louder than words. Our behavior is eloquent testimony to who we are and what we think. Holy thought and corrupt behavior cannot coexist. It is a lie to say you follow Christ if you are disregarding His Word and ignoring Him. It is surprising and disappointing when you hear people give a clear Christian testimony and yet see them living a questionable lifestyle. The Bible calls us to Holy living. We are to make every effort to live according to its guidelines.
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2 Corinthians 5:17 What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore; for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! God's Holy Spirit is living within us, helping us to do what is right. Godly living is an example to unbelieving friends, neighbors, and coworkers that we are different. People are attracted to others who are consistently kind, gracious, and loving. When they ask what makes you different you will have the opportunity to tell others about God's love. Godly living is a confirmation that you are, in fact, living for God and not yourself. It is a barometer of your relationship with him. Godly living means that you are emulating Christ, who is our ultimate example of how to live.
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Romans 8:15-17 So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God's very own children, adopted into his family--calling him "Father, dear Father." For His Holy Spiriti speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God's children. And since we are His children, we will share His treasures--for everything God gives to His Son, Christ, is ours, too. But is we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
Our lifestyle will clearly display our loyalty. People of God will live as God commands.
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