Category Archives: Life

Feb1

The Excellence of Love

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I have always associated the month of February with love,♥  hence I felt the following message would be appropriate for today: 

1If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.♥

1 Corinthians 13 – New International Version

 

 

Jan11

Even the Darkness will not be Dark

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I am always looking for signs in life.  Lately, I’ve been aware of signs in the sky.  This photo was taken in the winter sun on new year’s day, 1/1/2017, and it is untouched.  While I admit, it is eerie looking, the light shines brighter which gives me a sense of peace.  When you look closely at the cloud formations, you will see some images.  Any thoughts lol?

eerie

Jan10

Troubling Thoughts

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The Danger of Repression

by Madisyn Taylor (Daily OM)

When negative thoughts arise it is best to address them rather than pushing them down where they will surface again.

For the last several years, there has been a lot of focus on the power of positive thinking. Many people have come to misinterpret this wisdom to mean that it is not okay to have a bad mood or a negative thought or feeling. This can lend a kind of superficiality to their relationship with life and relationships with other people. It can also lead them to feel that if a negative thought or feeling comes up, in themselves or someone else, they must immediately block it out. When they do this, they are engaging in the act of repressing a part of themselves that needs to seen, heard, and processed.

When we repress parts of ourselves, they don’t go away so much as they get buried deep within us, and they often come out when we least expect it. On the other hand, if we allow ourselves to be fully human, honoring all the thoughts, feelings, and moods that pass through us on a given day, we create a more conscious relationship with ourselves. Instead of blocking out thoughts and feelings that we label as negative, we can simply observe them and then let them go. They only get stuck when we react to them negatively, pushing them down and out of sight where they get lodged in our unconscious minds. A healthier solution might be to develop a practice of following any negative thought we may have with a positive thought. This works well because positive thoughts are many times more powerful than negative thoughts.

Rather than setting our minds up in such a way that we become fearful of the contents of our own consciousness, blocking out anything that is less than 100 percent positive, we might resolve to develop a friendlier attitude toward ourselves, trusting in our inherent goodness. When we recognize our true inner worth, a few dark clouds passing through our minds will not intimidate us. We will see them for what they are–small, dark figures passing through an expansive sky of well-being and truth.

Jan7

Show Up

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I know there are many people who struggle with the belief in God (I have been there). Some of us have the attitude, when I see it, I will believe it. But I have come to learn over the years, it’s actually quite the opposite; when you believe it, you will see it. I can tell you, truthfully, that I have so many experiences to justify my belief in God. These miracles started showing up when I started showing up, when I made the choice to believe FIRST. Things started going my way, because I put my faith and trust in God first. Life is easier now because I know that I am constantly being guided by a higher power. The stronger my belief is, the better I am becoming emotionally, spiritually, mentally, physically, socially, and financially. When a situation comes about, I keep in mind that God is in control and has a plan. So I ask you this simple question:  what do you have to lose? If you are not satisfied, you can go back to the way you were living. I can promise you that you have so much to gain and life will be more fulfilling and will seem effortless when you MAKE GOD PRIORITY.  ~dp

Jan5

Give Thanks to the Lord

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Thank you God for life. Thank you for the struggles I’ve endured that brought me out a stronger and better person. Thank you for putting me on the path to reach you and to achieve greater potential. Thank you for guiding me to the truth, to believe in you, and to be with you, in Jesus’ name, amen. ~dp

Sep8

The Grip

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So I asked myself… have I really changed?  Can people actually change?  Is this possible?  I know when people hit the ground hard enough, they are forced to change, but do they eventually go back to being their same, old selves?  I have been working on self-improvement for several years, but it’s hard for me to tell if I am truly changing.  I still find myself having recurring thoughts and habits.  At least I am aware of them, and I do feel a little stronger and less of a people pleaser.  I guess after all those years of having the same thoughts and habits, that they are so ingrained in me, and that change is a gradual process.  It’s sort of like an etched stone when the engraving eventually wears off.  I am practicing patience, because I am determined to break free from the grip of the mind.