Blog Archives - The Remarkable Blog

Jesus never sabotaged. "LIFE"-reasons we self-sabotage.

3/31/2021

"In order to save us, He refuses to save himself."
Mark Chironna

I am reading "The Lost Boy" by Dave Pelzer. What I am finding so fascinating is how "It" as the boy is referred to, works out mental warfare in his head at such a young age. In this book, you read it from the dialog of the conversation in his head. At the time of the book he, "It" is about nine years old. This is the story of a foster child's search, for love of a family. For the Lost Boy it is the fear of not finding food, shelter and safety, that kept him from not staying free; once he was given the opportunity to be free. This really got me thinking about people not taking the opportunities in life that they are presented with; including myself. These seem "It" fears are understandable to me. But, the thoughts I have are the, "What if?" these seem huge things that I allow to sabotage my own life? "What if?" is the small voice that tells you things like, "You won't finish," "You aren't good enough." "You will not be accepted in the field." These are all questions that I ask myself that keep me stuck. Pay attention to what thoughts you are having right now. Write them down and talk to God about them. Then, listen to what He has to share with you.

I plan to take the assessment offered on this video I shared with you today. I even plan to do an assessment of my own pertaining to abandonment. Once I have my website up and launched, you will be able to take this "FREE" assessment. I am so excited about all the opportunities God is presenting me. I pray as I grow, I will be more equipped to help you grow.

I like what Lance Wallnau said, "The more we speak to the spirit in private, the more we will sense His Presence in public."

When we start to access and notice our avoidance behaviors, we find there are one or two areas in our life, that we can get stuck instead of moving forward. The video below goes through the acronym "LIFE". If the video does not show up then view in your Browser or click here: https://youtu.be/WCLZbIfph7Q

ACTION STEP: Distinguish between physical and emotional threats. Everyday is a fresh canvas, paint something beautiful. As the Bible tells us, "Renew your mind..." We have to pay attention to our thoughts because they drive our behaviors.

I believe in you! You can believe in yourself. The Resurrection is in essence a new beginning. It's almost April. A new month. A new season. Maybe, a new and better you.

If you don't have a local church I invite you to attend one of our services at 2160 Blue Horizon Drive Morgantown, WV 26505 at 9AM and 10:45AM this Resurrection morning. I will see you there.

Remember, whatever you're going through you and God have got this!

Sunshine and Blue Skies rather than Sabotage.

3/30/2021

Ephesians 1:19-20 TPT
"I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith. Then your lives will be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through you! This is the mighty power that was released when God raised Christ from the dead and exalted him to the place of highest honor and supreme authority in the heavenly realm!"

Have you ever stopped to think about what Jesus would look like if he were to walk into this room?

I don’t think God left us enough clues to know what Jesus looked like physically, because that wasn’t the important thing. But he did reveal to us exactly the right amount of information about his character, and his values, and his virtues, and His attitudes. Because, these are the things he wanted us to inherit, to imitate, and to develop.

In, "The Character of Jesus," by Charles Edward Jefferson. He says, “The writers deal with only three years out of thirty-three years, and of these selected days the deal only with shreds and fractions.”

He said the gospel writers were not trying to write a biography, because while it may take volumes to write a biography about Abraham Lincoln, or George Washington, or Napoleon, or Alexander the Great it would take far more to write about the life of Jesus. But they tell us exactly what we need to know … that Jesus’ character was one of power and strength.

Look at how strong and powerful people reacted to Jesus. John the Baptist was a mighty man, none mightier had ever appeared in Judah. When Jesus presented himself to be baptized something amazing happens. John had called to repentance, he had faced the greatest men of his day without flinching. John falters, and falls back and says, “I cannot baptize you.” Jesus was powerful! (Matthew 3:13-17)

At another point he walks along the shore of the sea of Galilee and sees two men fishing: he says, “follow me,” and they leave their nets to follow him. Jesus was powerful. (Mark 1:16-20)

Think about the reaction that the Roman centurion. (Matthew 8:5-13)

I think of Russell Crowe when he portrays General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the movie Gladiator.

“The first impression of Jesus is the impression of authority, mystery, power, leadership. He is a man of strength.” (The Character of Jesus, by Charles Edward Jefferson)

This was God in the flesh - look how he is described throughout the Bible.

As the Son of God, Jesus is the Power of God
(John 5:17-19; 10:28-30)
As a man, Jesus’ Power is from the Father
(Acts 10:38)
Jesus is described as Supreme
(Ephesians 1:20, 21; 1 Peter 3:22)
Jesus is Unlimited
(Matthew 28:18)
Jesus is over all things
(John 3:35 Eph 1:22)
Jesus is Glorious
(2 Thessalonians 1:9)
Jesus is Everlasting
(1Timothy 6:16)
Jesus is able to subdue all things
(Philippians 3:21)
Jesus is upholding all things
(Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3)
Jesus is salvation
(Isaiah 63:1 Heb 7:25)
Jesus has power to perform miracles
(Matthew 8:27; Luke 5:17)
Jesus enables others to work miracles
(Matthew 10:1; Mark 16:17, 18; Luke 10:17)
Jesus has the power to forgive sins
(Matthew 9:6; Acts 5:31)
Jesus has the power of eternal life
(John 17:2)
Jesus has the power to raise the dead
(John 5:28, 29)

“Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into His hands, that He had come from God, and that He was going back to God.” John 13:3

That is an amazing statement about the power of Jesus and the authority that God was giving him, and ultimately us.

So how does Jesus use his power?" So He got up from supper, laid aside His robe, took a towel, and tied it around Himself. Next, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around Him.” John 13:3-5

I heard Andy Stanley speak on this passage at a conference last year. He said that for Jesus, He realized that He was the most powerful person in the room and He chose to use His power and authority for the benefit of the disciples and for us.

What’s your first move when you become a powerful person? Jesus sheds his symbol of authority his robe. Jesus disciples were stunned by his humility. Jesus sheds all his authority (his robe is the symbol) and became a humble servant.

Don’t leverage your power for your own sake, but for the sake of the other people (in the room). Look for opportunities to leverage your power for the other people in the room.

George Washington story - he surrender his power. If decides not to be King he would be the greatest person in the world. Supreme example of a leader that can be trusted with power — he gave it up.

Virtue of Power is defined as-Steadfast, firm, unshakable, sure, never-failing, enduring, abiding, resolute, constant, devoted, steady, immovable, uncompromising.

Think about where we get our power, strength, authority...
• Resources (money, business, equipment, land, controlling interest)
• Position
• Physical strength
• Wisdom, Knowledge, Intellect, Skill
• Influence over someone who is in power
• Family
• Ultimately, they all come from God

As believers, we share in that power. He has placed that power, authority, in you.

Opposite of Power: wavering, unsure, unstable, fickle, indecisive.

In "Wild at Heart", Waking the Dead, and The Way of the Wild Heart, John Eldridge has done the church a great service by reminding all of us, especially men, that we were created in the image of God. And God is powerful, God is a warrior.

See The Way of the Wild Heart (pp. 138-144)

The Lord is a warrior; Yahweh is His name. Ex 15:3 (HCSB)

The LORD will march out like a mighty man,
like a warrior he will stir up his zeal;
with a shout he will raise the battle cry
and will triumph over his enemies.
Isaiah 42:13 (NIV)

ACTION STEP: March out into your day knowing you have the power of Christ inside of you! Make plans to show up and get your "Expectors" on at a church this coming Sunday--it is Resurrection morning!

1. Take Responsibility for your Actions-reclaim your power.
2. Take Responsibility for your Thoughts-the narrative in your head.
3. Take Responsibility for your Subconscious mind and Programming-Generational thinking, patterns, woundings and interrupt the pattern.
4. Take Responsibility for Giving Back-go do something for someone else.

I believe in you and you need to believe in you too!

I am counting on you and so are others!

Be responsible for what you have been given--like a sunshiny day with nothing but blue skies!

Don't be fooled by hanging out with fools.

3/29/2021

Proverbs 1:5-7
"Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles. Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."

I recently heard, "If you don't change your history it will become your prophecy. of your future. The problem with this is many of us do not have the knowledge to change. We may not even know what needs changed. The reason? We hang out with the same crowd doing the same thing, day in and day out. This reminds me of the pine processionary caterpillars. It is recommended that they be killed with bleach. They are irritating to human skin and poisonous if ingested. They go around in circles just following one another. Food can be outside their circle but they won't move away from the others to find it. This is what I see when I think about a fool. Just doing the same thing over and over again, yet never changing. Many a fool just gets angry with the way their life is going, yet never change.

Today, all that can change, even if no one else changes. You can change the equation by changing yourself. One small change can make a big difference. This may mean you have to change who you hang out with. "Influence is subtle yet powerful."-Dr. Keith Johnson. Imagine going to a dump for the first time. It would smell horrid. Now imagine going there everyday. Soon, you wouldn't notice the smell at all; especially if you worked there and had to be there everyday.

Think about that word picture the next time you find yourself in the presence of a fool or going around in circles. We were not created to crawl around on our bellies or to go in circles. We were created for greatness.

Video link click here or view in your Browser: https://youtu.be/ewJsfTo8saA

ACTION STEP: This is the week that many will celebrate April Fools Day on April 1st. I wanted to get a jump on this and talk to you about fools and the wise. We need the ways of God in our hearts.

Psalms 37:30 TPT God-lovers make the best counselors. Their words possess wisdom and are right and trustworthy.

Pay attention to who you hang out with. Maybe there are some changes you need to make?

I believe in you and pray you believe in yourself.

Broken for a breakthrough.

3/26/2021

Romans 6:14
“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”

The broken become masters at mending. When I heard this for the first time it hit me. It hit me that I could become a master at mending. Everything that I had been through made me an expert in helping others get through it too. My story could bring God glory. God could make a message out of my mess and triumph me over my trauma.

What happened to us does not triumph over us. We are the victorious ones. We are the ones that have the victory. I am seeing what I went through, through different lenses. What did not destroy me can deploy me into a greater future than I ever thought possible. I am working on my legacy now. You can too.

If you can't see the video below click here or view in your Browser:https://youtu.be/WZfa-ORqhY8

ACTION STEP: Ask me for a Time-Line diagram by emailing me at [email protected]. Once you fill it out, see if there are any reoccurring incidences of anything that lingers in your present from your past. If so, find someone to talk to about it and allow yourself to process. For me this was not just a game changer but a life changer. From there I began to read, study and learn new ways of looking at my past and my current state that was having an affect on my future. You and I are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are strong. We are brave. We are well able. We have the greater one living on the inside of us and we are victorious.

I believe in you. Believe in yourself! People are waiting on you--to be the real you! Make it a great weekend. I look forward to you joining me here again on Monday. Share, like, Re-Post and Subscribe. Help me help others! Together we are powerful.

Healing creates change. Change later is better than never, because it's never too late to be healed. Healing is for today.

3/25/2021

Psalm 30:2
“LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.”

Have you ever had difficulty trying to change a habit? Human beings are creatures of habit. We tend to continue acting as we have acted in the past. Like a river flowing through a canyon, the longer a habit continues, the more deeply it becomes ingrained, and the harder it is to change. This is true of all habits, good or bad.
Ephesians 4:22-24 shows that major changes must occur when we are converted to serve God. Old practices and attitudes must be replaced by new ones. Christians must learn good habits like Bible study, prayer, love, faith, patience, attending church meetings, giving, teaching others, etc. We must also eliminate bad habits like foul language, uncontrolled temper, gambling, drugs, smoking, drinking, gossip, lying, pornography, sexual promiscuity, etc.
Knowing what changes to make is not enough. We also need to know how to make them. Change does not come easily. Since the Scriptures provide us to all good works (2 Timothy 3:16,17), they give all the guidance we need. God's word is the best source of guidance for self-help and motivation for self-improvement.

ACTION STEP: If you feel like something is wrong, or missing? If you feel like you never quite fit in? There may be a reason beyond what is, it may be what was. When you start to look at things from a drone view rather than a bug in the rug view it's amazing what you can see and how you can find your way. It's hard to see where the rug begins and ends when your the bug. When you're the drone it's easy. Having a coach is like having a drone talk you out of the rug.

I believe in you and you need to believe in you too.

Slay your dragon and be all you can be-stop self-sabotaging.

3/24/2021

“I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
― Elie Wiesel

“Traumatized people chronically feel unsafe inside their bodies: The past is alive in the form of gnawing interior discomfort. Their bodies are constantly bombarded by visceral warning signs, and, in an attempt to control these processes, they often become expert at ignoring their gut feelings and in numbing awareness of what is played out inside. They learn to hide from their selves.” (p.97)”
― Bessel A. van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

Ephesians 2:10 ESV
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Self-sabotaging is the one part of our world we can control, regardless of what area we are sabotaging ourselves. If we hate rich people, we will never be rich. If we think making more money than our father made, is dishonoring to our father, then we will never make more than our father did.

There is a "stuckness" in people that have experienced trauma or at the least have a higher incidence of self-sabotaging. Most of our beliefs are formed before we are seven years old. Our goal as individuals is to take the lid off limiting beliefs so they don't become a generational stronghold in our children, and their children, and so forth. It's hard to see the rug, if you're a bug in the rug. It takes someone that can see the whole rug, to tell us "the bug" to get out of the rug. It is also said, "You can't read the label when you're in the bottle." So what can you do? Get help.

It helps for Holy Spirit to show us how to get un-stuck. This often times takes people in our lives that are filled with the Holy Spirit to see what we don't see. Here is a good short link to a video below that shows us why we are not to judge people who have experienced trauma: https://youtu.be/Cn_ccZn2cQ0

For todays video I am using another MedCircle YouTube. As I have been watching these to teach myself, I am sharing some of them with you. I am doing several of my own videos as well to share with you tomorrow, and later in this week, and next week. I hope you are learning along with me and sharing these Blogs with a friend.

ACTION STEP: Find a safe place. By that I mean someone you can talk with and work through the self-sabotaging behaviors you find yourself caught up in. I talked about this a little bit yesterday, so go back to yesterday's Blog and watch that video. We can make small changes that make big differences.

I believe in you and I am praying you believe in yourself! Together we are better.

Ways of healing self-sabotaging behavior

3/23/2021

“There’s something very romantic about self-destruction and sabotaging your life, and taking a hammer to it.”
– Gerard Way

Jeremiah 23:29
“Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Matt Mayberry
Speaker and Maximum Performance Strategist. CEO of Matt Mayberry Enterprises

All top performers, regardless of profession, know the importance of picturing themselves succeeding in their minds before they actually do in reality. Something I have been able to translate over to the business arena from athletics is the power of visualization. It is extremely effective when harnessed and used correctly.

Every Friday night after our team dinner, my college teammates and I would gather in the hotel conference room to prep for our game on Saturday.

We were led through a series of visualization techniques and practices led by a sports psychologist. Right away, I started to experience the incredible benefits of taking the time to picture myself succeeding before actually playing in the game. I visualized every little detail, from walking into the locker room, tying my cleats and having conversations with my teammates and coaches.

I would picture myself having the “perfect” game, executing the defensive game plan and making big plays. The more vivid I was, the better I seemed to play. I couldn’t believe it. Before the game even started, I had already played the entire game in my mind. This made a tremendous difference because it greatly increased my confidence and comfort level.

In turn, I have been able to harness the power of visualization outside of athletics. Before I take the stage and speak to a large audience, I always picture myself giving the “perfect” speech. I begin weeks in advance by picturing the audience, my choice of words and the reaction from the crowd once I am finished. Visualization can be applied to any area of your life, as I know it has become very beneficial throughout mine.

Consider these three examples:

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali was always stressing the importance of seeing himself victorious long before the actual fight.
As a struggling young actor, Jim Carrey used to picture himself being the greatest actor in the world.
Michael Jordan always took the last shot in his mind before he ever took one in real life.

These top performers, among many others, have mastered the technique of positive visualization and openly credit it as a success tactic.

When you think of a big goal or dream that you want to achieve, it’s natural to think of all of the obstacles that will come your way. The problem is far too often we allow these obstacles to become so big in our minds that it inhibits us from moving forward. This is when many become satisfied with mediocrity.

Don’t let this be you. Rather than creating larger-than-life barriers in your mind and dwelling on everything that will hold you back, envision yourself victorious like Ali. Picture yourself as the greatest at your craft like Carrey. Visualize your next shot as your winning shot like MJ.

What will it take? What sacrifices will you make? How can you handle any obstacles and still have enough to make it to the finish line? The key is to make your positive vision stronger than anything that can set you back.

The truth is, if you can’t picture yourself achieving a goal, chances are you won’t. The more vivid you can get, the better it will work for you. Start thinking of your personal goals in life. Spend about 10 to 15 minutes picturing yourself achieving each one.

Get as detailed as possible. Picture what you will do once your goal is reached. How amazing does it feel? How will this change the course of your life? Remember, the little details increase the likelihood of the big picture.

You don’t need to spend endless hours. Simply get in the habit of putting together a positive vision into your everyday life. Visualize yourself succeeding, achieving every goal, completing every task. See what it does for you and how it makes you feel. This will likely become a pivotal part of your success arsenal.

The bottom line is this: If you can't picture yourself in your own mind being extremely successful, dominating your market, and running a phenomenal business, then chances are you never will.

Of you can't see the video below click here or view in your Browser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdeEeawHAik

ACTION STEP: No one would be able to see on the outside what is going on inside of me. You or I may look very "having it all together" on the outside. However, on the inside we have to be truthful to ourselves. Look at the list above and realistically answer the statements with a "yes" or "no" and if you have more yes's than no's, then watch this video. Just watching the video will not heal you, and I am by no means telling you to go get hypnotherapy or seeing a therapist. I believe God can write a new script. I believe pastors, friends and especially the Holy Spirit can help us all. Talk with your pastor. Most pastors want to help you and if they know they can't help you, they will refer.

God's word is like a hammer, it can chip away at wrong and un-godly beliefs. The word of God can make a difference, but you have to read the word, study the word, believe the word, and apply the word.

I believe in you. You need to believe in yourself. The question is are you ready to change? Your point of readiness matters. What are you picturing your life looking like? God says, He sees us as a success, you need to see yourself like God sees you.

Self-Sabotage or Self-Improvement?

3/22/2021

Jeremiah 17:9
"The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?"

We cannot really be true to ourselves until our selves derive their identity, purpose, and destiny from the Father through Jesus. “What God is after in this truly honest surrender is to give us the greatest joy possible: himself.” Being honest to God is openly admitting who we really are and no longer living out of the fear of man.

God delights when truth reigns in our inmost being (Psalm 51:6).

But I don’t always delight in the truth. I most certainly should, but honestly I don’t. Sometimes I feel about seeking the truth like I feel about seeking the dentist. The truth might (or perhaps I already know will) expose some decay. Decay needs to be drilled out. And who wants that?

“We cannot really be true to ourselves until our selves derive their identity, purpose, and destiny from God.”

Well, if I’m wise, I should want that. But wisdom isn’t always the most persuasive voice in my head. Sometimes pride is. And my pride is anything but wise. When my pride is speaking to me, it encourages me to seek my selfish interests above God’s. More bluntly, my pride prefers a deceptive illusion of self-advancement or self-exaltation or self-protection to God’s exposing, humbling, but ultimately merciful and liberating truth — which is utter foolishness, because that’s preferring the destruction of my greatest joy over the pursuit of my greatest joy.

So, dishonesty is almost always a form of pride. Unless our aims are things like hiding Jews from the Gestapo, victims from human traffickers, or a child from an abuser, there’s no reason for us to be dishonest except to control and manipulate someone else’s perception for our own selfish interests.

Pride prefers deception to truth, and does not realize by doing so it prefers destruction. But God desires truth in our inmost being, because he knows that his truth will set us truly free (John 8:32).

God Loves HonestyGod is truth (John 14:6), so he loves honesty. That’s why he tells us (through David), “Blessed is the man . . . in whose spirit there is no deceit” (Psalm 32:2). David knew both the blessedness of honesty and the wretchedness of dishonesty. He wrote, For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah. (Psalm 32:3–5)

When David was dishonest with God and men, it was like a wasting disease. When he came clean with God and men, it was health and refreshment to his soul.

This is what God wants us to have: health and refreshment to our souls. It is a great mercy when God rests his hand heavy upon us because we are living dishonestly. And the longer we walk with him, the more rigorously he demands we live truthfully before him. He wants truth to reign in every part of us because he wants us to enjoy full freedom — to increasingly know him. And we can never really know God until we are willing to be truthful with him and for him.

God loves honesty. But honesty is often just the beginning of living truthfully. Because being honest doesn’t necessarily mean we believe what is true. It merely means we speak and live consistently with what we do believe — however consistent or inconsistent what we believe is with reality.
“Pride tries to control and manipulate someone else’s perception of us for our own selfish interests.”

Honesty is being true to one’s actual convictions. But one’s actual convictions might not be true. It is possible for us to be honest and wrong at the same time.

In fact, the relief of finally being honest, even if what we are being honest about is wrong, can feel emancipating. We’ve all experienced or witnessed this. When someone who has been secretly struggling with homosexuality finally comes out and embraces it, it often feels wonderful and freeing. Or when someone who has professed faith in Christ secretly stops believing the reality of Christianity, it can be a great relief to finally admit it and stop pretending. Or when a spouse has secretly been committing adultery, it can feel liberating to bring it out into the open, even if they are not repentant. What each of these people experiences is a sense of being true to themselves, even if what they actually believe isn’t true and right.

We are made to live with integrity — where our inner beings align with our outer beings. That makes honesty the beginning of the real work. God does want us to be honest, even when what we really believe is not good. It’s better to be honest than deceptive. But that’s not the honesty God is after — to honestly believe something that’s false. That kind of honesty won’t set us free. Truth is what sets us free. God’s truth. The God who is the truth.

God delights when truth reigns in our inmost being (Psalm 51:6). And Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). It is Jesus — not our disordered and broken psyches, desires, bodies, and pasts — that determines who we are and how we should live. He is the truth and the way. We cannot really be true to ourselves until our selves derive their identity, purpose, and destiny from the Father through Jesus.

“What God is after in this truly honest surrender is to give us the greatest joy possible: himself.”

Being honest to God is openly admitting who we really are and no longer living out of the fear of man. But it is more than that. It is repenting of the pride that has fueled our deceptive ways of living, whatever that might mean. And it is laying down before our merciful King Jesus all our old, sinful, defective beliefs about what it means to be significant and worthy and “enough.” And it is embracing his truth, however difficult and painful that embrace might feel at first.

What God is after in this truly honest surrender is to give us the greatest joy possible: himself. He wants to align our inner beings and our outer beings with his being. And this alignment only happens when we lay aside our foolish pride and humble ourselves under his mighty hand (1 Peter 5:6), for he knows how and when to exalt us in ways that will blow our minds and increase our joy — in him.

Jon Bloom (@Bloom_Jon) serves as teacher and co-founder of Desiring God. He is author of three books, Not by Sight, Things Not Seen, and Don’t Follow Your Heart. He and his wife have five children and make their home in the Twin Cities.

If you do not see the video below click here or view in your Browser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVWAUpfezIA

ACTION STEP: Listen through this video and chew up the meat and spit out the fat. I don't take everything in this video as the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the highest truth, but I believe we can learn from this. If this helps you great. If it even gets you thinking great. Sometimes we need to just have a conversation with ourselves and gives us an opportunity to reframe our spoken thoughts.

I look forward to sharing with you tomorrow more on what I am learning. I believe in you and I want you to believe in yourself. I am changing my self-limiting beliefs and yes, it's hard word--but you and I can change through the power of Jesus Christ.

So I learned something new today. Let me teach you.

3/19/2021

Eccl. 3:11a
“He has made everything beautiful in its time”

The saying "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder," goes to say that defining beauty can be tough. However, God's words can lead us to discover what our individual meaning of beauty truly is and should be; that is deterred from looking at a physical appearance for God looks at the heart in all people and things.

Why would I care about an old Japanese philosophy? I am a Christian after all? It's because if you quit being religious and realize that God created everything, then you and I can see beauty in the basic, the broken and the mundane. The basic definition of "wabi-sabi" is the appreciation of flawed beauty. It was interestingly enough, I came upon this on my 44th Wedding Anniversary, because it is a way we can look at things. We can look at the crumbs on the counter and get upset, or the cup in the sink and get mad, because the other person in the house didn't just open up the dishwasher and insert cup; or we can look at the crumbs and the cup and be grateful that the other person is in our life. They are a gift. The second way of looking at that scenario is "wabi-sabi" beauty in the ugly. To look at the broken and still see beauty--is a gift, and that is what the Japanese refer to as "wabi-sabi." Here is a little video to help me explain. There is a better one on my Facebook page. Click here if you do not see the video below or open this in your Browser. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbEEPPZ5tEA Here is another one I liked https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1gxziZwmkc This one is very painful.

ACTION STEP: Check out my Facebook Page and watch the wabi-sabi video. Then, challenge yourself to see the beauty in the flawed. Look at those you love and find the beauty in everything. We don't have to all be a guru to learn things from other cultures and perhaps it will open a door for other cultures to want to learn what we know about the Kingdom and our Creator. Have a "wabi-sabi" kind of day, after all none of us is perfect.

Happy 44th Anniversary to us.

3/18/2021

Genesis 2:18
"Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”

ACTION STEP: Marriage is what you make it. Every year is different. This year will be one for the books. We thank God for all our blessings and pray HE will give us many more. For all of you who are in our lives take a minute and celebrate with us the goodness of God. Together we are better!